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THE 



BOUQUET 



SPIRITUAL FLOWERS: 

Iztzibtb cjfhflg t^rottg^ tin pebittmsljip of 

MRS. J. S. ADAMS. 



BY 

A. B. CHILD, M.D. 






Cold, cold must be the heart that does not soften at the repeated coming and sound of 
angel foot-steps. — Flora. 



BOSTON : 
BELA MARSH, PUBLISHER, 

15 Franklin Street. 

1856. 



#' 

*■ 



VS 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, 

By BELA MARSH. 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. 



Geo. C. Rand & Avery, Printers, 3 Coxnhill, Boston. 



INTRODUCTION. 



"The Lily Wreath" was published a year 
since as a gift book, and was received with so 
much favor by the lovers of Spiritual truths, 
that in compliance with the wishes of many in- 
dividuals a continuation is now issued under the 
name of " The Bouquet." 

The flowers that form this Bouquet have been 
gathered in celestial gardens. They are fragrant 
with angel love, and arranged in the glowing 
tints of angel pencilings. Delicately must we 
touch them, and susceptible to the purest spirit- 
uality must they be who would fully enjoy and 
justly appreciate their many beauties. 

In each message let each one consider him- 
self as personally addressed, for to all those who 
while on earth would catch the tones of angel 
voices, and the soft notes of golden harps 
moved to melody by angel hands, this Bouquet 
is presented as a token of that love which is 
drawing us all home to peace and joy eternal. 



PREFACE. 



The summer flowers are passing by, 

The lilies in their whiteness ; 
But autumn buds will charm the eye 

By their unrivalled brightness. 

The buds and blossoms all are here, 
I've gathered all the sweetest: ^ 

And those the brightest colors wear, 
I fear will be the fleetest. 

T ve brought sweet buds from spirit bowers, 
And mixed with leaves of bay; 

With ribbons bright now bind my flowers, 
And call them " Love's Bouquet." 

Flora. 



Strike the lyre ; let angel fingers 
Tune the harp for heavenly choirs ; 

Lovingly the soft touch lingers 
O'er the spirit-breathing wires. 

Mightier, stronger swells the chorus ; 

Finer, purer swells the strain, 
Like some zephyr stealing o'er us, 

Bringing hearts to God again. 

Bow thy soul in adoration ; 

Mortal, bow before the throne ; 

Swell this song to every nation, 

'T is not for thyself alone. 
l* 



THE 



BOUQUET. 



SECTION I.* 

0, open ye the gates of beauty, 

Let the rays of truth shine in ; 
Wide unfold the path of duty, 

Love shall reign in place of sin. 

Come and dwell in heaven's own mansion, 
Dwell with spirits round the throne ; 

Light shall burst upon thy sorrow, 

Doubting wanderers, come ! 0, come ! 

Thus far have we wandered together ; thus 
far have we gathered life's roses and twined 

* Note. — All the sections not otherwise designated were received from 
Flora through the mediumship of Mrs. Adams. 



8 

them in blooming wreaths to soften the aching 
brows of many. Thus far have we sailed to- 
gether adown the stream of life, and the little 
ripples that bore our bark along were music 
to our ears. Not always have we sailed with 
the tide and the breeze. There have been mo- 
ments when the mist of error has come across 
our path, and our bark was stationed for awhile; 
but hope dropped her golden anchor, and we 
waited the sunshine of light and truth again to 
shine through the mist, and then we went sailing 
onward. Thus far have we progressed; and 
now to a, point of beauty I have ushered 
thee, whence we can go on together to higher 
truths, where we can listen to deeper melody 
that comes from the harmonious music of God's 
kingdom. 

We are all music notes in the great harmony 
of life, and each one goes to fill the melody of 
time. Some rest upon the music staff in the 
higher grade, others are below, while many fill 
the intermediate spaces. 

But he that reads the whole and glances o'er 



9 

the page, loves the low tone as well as the 
higher. It was not God's melody or his design to 
follow one tone throughout successive measures, 
but that each and all may bear a part. 

Yes, we will pass home together. O, how we 
will catch the living beauties that shine forth 
from our God, and fasten them around the brow 
like beauteous coronets that we have gathered 
from his beams. And they beneath shall look 
on us, and learn through us of God. For every 
form of life that dwells must have a brighter 
light, and every gradation of mind has its at- 
tending God. We mean according as we shine 
for him and beam from him, we are for that 
time the God for the lesser. 

We have the glowing, blazing sun for day, the 
paler moon for night ; and so does intellect range 
from low to high, and high to low ; they have a 
corresponding light to shine for them. Bright 
sun for the day, stars for the eventide, and the 
gentle moon for the midnight. 

Shine forth, dear one, on forms thou wouldst 
gather to his eternal kingdom in all these grada- 



10 

tions of blazonry. If thou art whispering to 
one whose boundary of mind is narrow and 
whose soul is small, show unto him a few 
faint stars, and let his eye accustomed look from 
little stars to moons, and then to suns of light ; 
blind him not with too bright rays. 



SECTION II. 

What wouldst thou gather from me now ? 

Is it gems to stud the brow ? 

Is it love to fill thy soul, 

To bring thee to our heavenly goal ? 

Is it wisdom's light to shine, 
Ever on this path of thine ? 
Is it heavenly treasures rare, 
Floating on celestial air ? 

Is it angel-powers to bless, 

To soothe all grief, all sin's distress ? 

Is it truth to fill thy mind, 

To shine in love for all mankind ? 



11 

If these the treasures you would seek, 
I from my volume now will sp«ak ; 
Will read thee all my words of truth, 
And you shall feel their holy worth. 

Yes, 't is for these you love to live, 
And all these beauties you shall have 
To scatter forth on barren ground, 
And sing the song of life around. 

Swell, swell the anthem high and clear, 
Earth soon in love shall reappear ; 
Shall come before the eternal choir, 
Shall pass to joys, far sweeter, higher 

Than e'er the heart of man conceived ; 
From sorrowing care shall be relieved, 
In this our land of holy bliss, 
In these our bowers of loveliness. 

All shall be gathered here at last, 
Their night of sorrow then be past ; 
All have in heaven a mate of love, 
All shall find here an echoing dove ; 

Room for the sorrowing and the sad ; 
Bright garlands waiting for the glad ; 



12 

A place to lay the aching head ; 
A softened pillow and a bed. 

A couch by angel ones attended, 
For those in life who 're unbefriended ; 
Bright garments pure for them to wear, 
A crown of hope, the soul to cheer. 

A hand of love to lead them on 

Where friends have past, and loved ones gone ; 

Where words of sorrow and of strife 

Ne'er fall upon the ear, 

But in glad tones they hear 

Bright seraphs singing " Come, 
You 've found at last your home, 
And here your souls shall rest, 
To be forever ever blessed. 
Shall pass to lands above, 
Shall echo ' God is love.' " 



Who is mighty in wisdom and power? He 
that hath gathered in humility's garden the half 
hidden buds that grow unprotected. 



13 

Who shall. reap immortal joy? 
He that sows without alloy. 
Who shall garner treasures there ? 
He that plants the flower so fair. 

Flowers of life that angels bring, 
Dropping from the golden wing, 
The wing of time that fans the brow, 
These are beauties, listen now. 

Presence of Spirit Friends. 

Oh, welcome angels to earth. Open the 
gates and . unloose the portals of thy soul's en- 
trance ; bid them enter, turn them not away. 
They plead long to be thy guests. 'T is hard for 
you to find their places vacant here on earth. 
'Tis sad for them to see within the souls they've 
left behind, the vacant spot in the memory 
where once they lingered. 

On the soul's sacred tablet is written " remem- 
brance" On though we pass, on, on, on, still 
on, memory's chain that binds us to the loved 
ones of earth breaks not in our grasp. We 
love them still; kind friends of earth. Oft- 



14 



times with grief we're filled, when gathering 
round the loving forms, to know they feel us 
not. 

We cannot take their well known hand, 
We cannot join their little band, 
But floating in a cloud above, 
We drop for them a tear of love ; 

And fain would speak of all our bliss 
To them in words of tenderness ; 
But 0, that voice of silver tone, 
They hear it not within their home. 

We gather round the couch in dreams, 
We see the spirit how it beams 
With love for those who, gone before, 
They sorrowing say : ' * are here no more." 

Oh, darkened faith of earth give place 
To brighter light and heavenly grace, 
That bids us come, and whispers bliss 
To all that dwell in loneliness. 

Then take the hand of loved ones here, 
Bright faith the longing soul shall cheer ; 
We'll walk forever by your side, 
And in your homes will long abide. 



15 

And heaven and earth shall meet at last, 
When all the sorrowing sin has past. 
0, joyous hour for heaven and earth, 
To sing the anthem of this birth. 



SECTION III 



Pilgrims for time and voyagers for eternity, 
let the glorious tidings thrill the soul. We 
emanate from a God of life, from a God of love; 
and how can we fill up life with duty and 
with love X 

Plant now your monument of beauty, it shall 
stand towering over your grave when you lay 
your body down. 'T is made up of holy deeds 
and kindly acts. In design it far outstretches 
Art's most noble work. Tis hewn from Nature's 
quarry ; it shall stand long after the works of 
man go mouldering back with his body to the 
dust. 

Tell the children of earth to build their mon- 



16 

uments from a grand design. Let them be 
built in graceful eloquence to the eye of the 
passer by. Tell them to tower them high, high 
above earth, so that angel footsteps may reach 
them ; and where they are built of love's mate- 
rial they will approve the deed. Now let us 
speak of the 

Angel of Love, 

Her mighty mission, and her heavenly work ; 
Hope, charity, duty, affection, truth, harmony, 
peace, life* and happiness ; these are the faculties 
that make up the soul. 

In charity, she sees a brother in deformity but 
to pity him. In truth, she deals with all man- 
kind. In hope, she points the tearful eye to fu- 
ture thoughts of joy. In happiness, she gath- 
ers flowers to deck another's brow. In peace, 
she chants her heavenly lay, that soothes the 
spirit from all strife. In life, she fills the eter- 
nal day with every duty well discharged, and 



17 



lets no form of sorrow pass ; turns not away 
from aching hearts, 

Lists to the tale of sad distress, 

And strives the sorrowing heart to bless. 



Oh, the mighty mission of Love ! 

Ask her on earth to still abide, 
And dwell forever by your side. 



SECTION IV. 

Various Garments of Faith. 

We are all coming home, though clothed in 

various garments. We are all God's children ; 

some wear the garments of one faith, some 

another ; one the deep folds, another the light 

flowing mantle of love, and yet they are all 

God's fabric. The children of earth all make 
2* 



18 

their garments of faith, of what seemeth to 
them the most enduring; and they make up 
unsightly robes with no variation of beauty, 
but all selected from one dark web of sorrow, 
woven in anguish. While he that wears a 
lighter garb, the gauzy mantle made by the hand 
of love, hath selected the brighter sunbeam, the 
more becoming mantle of God's enduring 
truth. Let not the one in darkened robes 
deny that all are coming home. For he that 
wears those heavy trailing garments of right- 
eousness, made by the hand of justice, and fash- 
ioned after the form of God's eternal law, the 
garments that go sweeping and trailing in the 
dust of earth, and raise not a heavenly but an 
earthly cloud, should not frown on him that 
wears the full flowing mantle of faith. 



And faith should turn with pitying eyes 
And tell him how his garment lies, 
And sweeps along the dust and soil ; 
Tell how his labor and his toil 
Might thus be spared. 



19 

And he, instead of garments trailing, 
Might stay the anguish and the wailing, 
The sighs of those in slavery bound, 
That come from out the throng around ; 

All forms of slavery and of sin, 
That keep God's light from rushing in — 
That 't is his faith and not his robe, 
That stands an emblem of his God. 



His robe and garments here shall be 
A mantle made of charity, 
Folding with grace around the form ; 
In purest love it should be worn, 

And large enough to gather m, 
And mantle o'er those forms of sin, 
Those darkened ones that round him stand, 
That have no garments and no hand 
To point them to our heavenly land. 

Its ample folds shall cover all, 
He holds it forth at every call, 
And bids them 'neath its folds to rest ; 
That man shall be forever blessed 



20 

Who clothes the naked and the sad, 
With robes of life to make them glad, 
To pass them on where they shall roam, 
And find their own eternal home. 

We are all going home together. 

Brother clasp thy neighbor's hand, 
Tell him of the happy land, 
Tell him all the light and love 
That echos from your spirit dove. 

Come with a joyous heart, come with smiles 
beaming, come lovingly together. Bring home 
with thee aught that thy Father loves. Let thy 
pathway go grading up a gradual ascent. Let 
each day add new buds to the thickly woven 
garland of life. I would bear to thee a part of 
the joy my spirit feels, but language fails. My 
spirit can only pour out one lengthened, length- 
ened sigh of sympathy for earth's children. On 
pinions of celestial beauty I would that you 
could go soaring, that we could drink insatiate 
from the fountain of life, and feel the thrilling 



21 

joy that courses through the frame. When we 
come to the courts Celestial, we will pluck from 
the perennial gardens the amaranthine blossoms, 
emblems of life, to deck earth's children. 
When angels gaze on earth and see the clouds of 
sorrow and anguish oft-times hovering over you ; 
be it known, O, let it be known that angels 
weep. O mortal, wherever found, hasten to the 
dawn of life. O, usher in the noon of eternal 
joy, that angels may take their harps of love 
and sing heavenly melody. O, make the spirit 
on earth most dear, a sacred home wherein 
angels will love to dwell. Invite us there; 
woo us with gentle words, call us with smiles, 
and at the still more inner and sacred tabernacle, 
the soul, let an angel guardian be ever in at- 
tendance. Let no rude stranger pass over the 
threshold of the soul ; keep it sacred and pure 
by inviting love and beauty to dwell therein. 
O, I would that these words could have more 
power ; I would that their feeble import could 
carry but half the joy, that is yet in store 
" Eye hath not seen nor ear heard, nor 



22 



heart conceived the things of love God hath 
prepared," that from his bounty he hath bestowed 

on us. But the eye shall gaze, and the ear 

shall listen, and the heart shall conceive and 
gather in, one by one, these treasures. And 
music, O, how the rapture shall thrill; and 
scenes, to the astonished gaze, O, how they'll 
fill the soul ! 



SECTION. V. 



O, glorious retrospection ! let us turn back ; 
let us gaze on the past ; let us see if we have 
gathered life's blossoms to wreathe our future. 
Has our journey together been joyous? Are 
there no dark lingerings of memory that hang 
around the past? Has it been joy and life to 
thee % Then come and let us go home together. 
No longer stay the soul to dwell and ask if all 
be true that dwells beyond ; but let us heaven- 



23 

ward bound; let us leap for the living waters 
that flow from our Father's eternal fountain. 
Gaze back on the time when we began our 
course of beauty. Is not thy soul more 
melodious] Does it not thrill with sweeter 
harmony ? Does not thy ear catch seraph 
voices whispering to thee ? Has not thy soul 
had a wider expanse, and a far richer landscape 
of eternal beauty] And glorious is the retros- 
pection ; eternal sunshine has beamed upon thy 
spirit and warmed thy life into powers anew. 
It has put a new song into thy mouth. 
It has taught thee how much nearer is thy 
relationship to God, and how near allied to 
angels. It has taught thee to sail on the placid 
waters of life, and to gather from the banks of 
time perennial blossoms to adorn thy spirit. 
As we live now so is our future made. Our 
thoughts are being built and adorned by that 
great architect on high, who builds and forms 
our temples. According as the past is lovely 
and pleasant, will the future open to the 
golden entrance that leads to the paradise eter- 



24 

nal where we shall walk in love and beauty, 
and grow in each other's strength, and bloom for 
each other's joy; yet not for ours alone; we 
will shed the holy influence around, that the soft- 
ening breath of love may fall on other hearts, 
and they, through ours, be brought to hope 
and joys immortal. 

O, joyous life ! O, happy theme ! Let us 
peal the anthem of the soul louder, still louder, 
till all have caught the glorious strain and join 
in the chorus. O, give joy, give thanks that 
life, eternal life, is ours. Life that no begin- 
ning knows, and life that has 'no end. Where 
shall we grasp infinitude ! The mind will tire 
and grow faint when drinking in the mighty 
thought, — the thought of immortality! This is 
not thy first phase of life. Life ever was and is. 
Life never had beginning. All matter goes 
through the various forms, from the inanimate 
to the animate, and all that lives, and all that 
fills this world, and the universe are God's im- 
mortal works. 



25 

As we advance towards the perfections of 
God we develope to a likeness more like his 
own, and throw off the habiliments of apparent 
evil. 

The nearer we approach to God. the purer 
grows the soul, and we throw back the particles 
of life once more ; they fall on less devel- 
oped beings, and form for them a garment new, 
a beauteous change from that they once wore. 
Keep your garments changing as you progress 
to light and love, for naked ones stand waiting 
to be clothed. These garments are God's holy 
truths and are made for his children. Stand 
ready to deck thyself in brighter apparel, for 
higher forms whisper to thee when thou art 
called to give up thy present robe. All forms 
are like unto harps, and the faculties of the soul 
are strings for angel hands to play upon, and they 
send forth their melody according to their devel- 
opment in harmony. The chords are the affec- 
tions. And this harp is the one I must play up- 
on, to bring forth the best, the sweetest melody. 
We love to bring forth the melody, yet we love 



26 

ever to bring forth concord. We love to strike 
each string and let the soul vibrate with heavenly 
music. I have played melody on thy chords ; 
many melodies on thy harp, and pleasant has 
been the work. Now, I will strike the concord 
sweet, and thy own life will come in, keeping 
time to the notes. I would now play upon each 
faculty, and let thy deeper nature mingle with 
the softer, silvery tones of love. I would bring 
out all thy powers of mind, for each is harmoni- 
ous, and each chord is attuned by the great 
music master. Thy harp has never yet sent 
forth its deepest tones. Each soul has beauty, 
each soul has harmony. We were not emana- 
tions of the great Creator, had we no sparks, no 
light of love within. Some harps are yet un- 
strung; have ne'er been touched by loving 
hands. How could they send forth music % 
We come and call for life and beauty, and find 
it dwelling everywhere, only differing in de- 
gree ; we are all of one kind, all human forms : 
some look on the stars in love, others gaze 
with awe ; some see a father's love in all things, 



2< 



and his hand bearing them ; while others look 
with vacant stare and ask, " where is my God % " 
According as you acknowledge God, so is he 
near unto you ; if clouds come o'er thee, then in 
faith can you say, my God is near. We'll wor- 
ship in nature's temple ; we'll offer up from our 
hearts a bright adoration of gratitude. 

Prayer. 

O, thou who art all life and beauty ! fill our 
souls with the highest conception of thy beati- 
tude, and let us know thy power and love. 
Fill our deeper natures with thy holy life ; let us 
come to thee in the paths of wisdom, let us bear 
no vain oblations, but at thy Holy altar let us 
bring and lay these bursting hearts of gratitude. 

Ten thousand voices from eternity could not 
whisper to thee the joy we feel when kneeling 
at thy throne, the altar of nature. When we 
see the flowers bearing thee their incense, 
then we would bear thee beauty, we thy chil- 
dren, for all nature bows to thee, O God. 



28 



SECTION VI. 

Is thy soul still trusting ] Has it lost none 
of its bright pinions of faith % Dost thou learn 
to blend the light and shade of life % Dost thou 
see the many paths through which thy soul 
must traverse to bring it home in symmetry ? Is 
thy spirit not yet weary of gathering heavenly 
beauty 'mid the toils of life ? We must gaze 
upon many grades of progression in the universe, 
ere we can picture the whole. With how many 
tints must we vary the soul, to fit it to gaze on 
heaven's bright harmony ; how many paths must 
we walk in to collect the scattered beauties that 
belong to this harmony. The spirit needs diver- 
sity, and for that want God has provided the 
varied flowers, the countless forms of beauty 
that lie around us. O, gaze on every phase of 
life, and gather in the rays of truth that shine 
from each, knowing our Father's love pervadeth 



29 

all life. We can not turn the eye but we read 
of him ; we can not take a particle from any 
phase of nature, but 'tis bursting with his 
fragrance. Q, how he fills creation and his 
works ! The soul must praise and acknowledge 
him in sunshine and in shade. He maketh the 
evening shadows and the morning light. 

Yes, thou canst work on for the love of truth; 
we will not labor for some bright terminus to 
our pathway, but we ever labor for God. Let 
that be the aspiring thought, and heavenly beau- 
ties will surely come ; they will embrace us, for 
nought can flow from him but that of sweetest 
accord, and he will meet us in our labor with a 
glorious, bright reward that far outweighs the 
favors we have given. 

0, let our thought and labor be, 
To God and for humanity. 

Our bright reward shall transcend more than 
the thought or heart of man has ere conceived. 
If these eternal joys await us, then pledge thee 
to work, work for eternity in his labor divine. 

3* 



30 



Know that a truth wherever found is God's 
truth ; though it may dwell within some rude 
case, yet from him it flows, to him it belongs, 
and his love and beauty must fill all its parti- 
cles : there is no form that can claim the whole. 
Each little atom of life holds a spark of divin- 
ity, for God's beauty permeates and illuminates 
all things. Each form wears the smile of God. 
The sunbeam's rays reflect his glorious image ; 
The fragrance of the rose that sends its sweet- 
ness forth, catches the light of its Maker's smile 
and wafts it back again to him. So we, who 
fill creation here in varied phase, must bear back 
to him the incense of his love ; and they that 
stand nearer his form will have more of this 
work and labor. The gathered incense of life 
breathed from many hearts and placed in their 
hands for deliverance, they must bear unto him. 

O, how thrilling the joy that we labor for 
him, that we work for heaven's bright courts ; 
and how joyous the truth, that he lets his guard- 
ian angels come to take the hand of erring ones 
and bear them home sooner ; for we find our 



31 



home in truth, that is the soul's best mansion, 
and he that knows it not is a wanderer on the 
ocean of life, and knows not those softening 
words that truth whispers of " ho?ne, sweet home." 
Truth, bright, glowing truth, is the heart's cita- 
adel ; 'tis the heaven of love that we yearn for ; 
't is the mansion prepared for us ; 'tis the stream 
of love on which we sail ; 't is the recompense 
of labor and investigation, for who knows truth 
but he that toils % The man of deep research 
finds his great reward in truth. Clothe thyself 
in a garment of truth, and let it be spotless. 
Array thyself in beauty, and God will meet thee 
in warm embrace. 

Learn to have deep faith in the shadows of 
life. I watch thy progress then as when thy eye 
of faith reads clear. The unruffled breeze will 
not be the one that bears the spirit to the high- 
est progression ; 't is in the shadowy vales of 
earth, and on the rocky hill, and by the little 
rippling stream, and on the bosom of the ocean 
wild, we learn the good and ill that fits us best 
to live, that gives the vision clear along the 



32 

path of life. It is the winding way that gives 
the eye its better gaze ; for when in the distance 
dim the soul walks, it wearies, and will turn 
aside to find the flowers that grow within the 
dales, to gather the beauteous blossoms, that 
bloom not in life's highway. 

Dost thou feel my presence with thee ? The 
principle of love that echoes back from thee to 
me can never be lost. If thy soul wishes for 
some truth to nourish it, that food is grow- 
ing in God's universe. It must be there ; for 
God hath that with which to meet each pure 
desire. Thy spirit longed for the food I bring 
thee, and by our Father's great supervisions and 
love, it was granted thee ; the form of a gentle 
guardian was sent to thee, and between that 
hour and this were kindred joys to weave 
around affinities. That which nourished thy 
soul in like manner nourished mine ; and the 
joy you received imparted a living bliss to me. 

The labor I loved; thy heart admired; and so 
thy being was requisite to mine, as mine to thine. 
I wanted a heart of response, a soul that thrilled 



33 

to mine own, and that want was filled, and 
ever in this guardianship and labor there has 
been the heart of love which is the only true 
accompaniment to the hand of duty. 

Between us at times a distance may seem to 
exist ; but know that nothing in spirit-life can 
divide tw T o principles, or separate two particles 
that adhere, two souls that mingle. The same 
law governs our being that uniteth particles of 
matter, though acting on a higher development 
of life. And yet I know thy spirit is so far 
advanced that were it best for thee it could 
labor alone for the love of good. Assurance 
double, have I given thee that I leave thee not. 
Let us ever meet in the bright pathway of duty 
it is ours to walk in. We are nearing each 
other, and lessening the space between us when 
w r e give the hand of love and gather the faded 
flowers that lie before us, and transplant 
them to heaven's more congenial clime. In 
this pathway w r e shall meet the warm embrace ; 
then, to a higher plane of life and duty we will 
arise and walk on even more unitedly together. 



34 

I asked my guardian if she was always with me ? She answered : 

Whenever thy thoughts flow out towards me 
I am drawn near, very near to thy inner being. 
It gives me pleasure to see you attend well to 
all the duties of life. Remember the little 
truth, that spirit-communion should not conflict 
with earthly duties. Angels never call mortals 
from duty, but rather urge them to its perform- 
ance. 

Many, many who commune with spirits are 
indiscreet ; so are their spirit guides. 



Flora ceased speaking, and I expressed to her my debt of grati- 
tude for the many beautiful communications she had given me, 
and also the great pleasure I felt in having the " Lily Wreath " 
well received by the public. And she continued, alluding to that 
volume : 



'T is only one flower from out the Paradise 
of God : 'tis only one angel tear shed for hu- 
manity ; 't is only one of the myriad gems that 
stud the brows of spirits here. 



35 



It is all joy to me to know, 



That good is growing 

And truth is flowing 

On forever. 

Tell all, who read this little volume, that so 
far as it bears the impress of truth, shall I gath- 
er joy from the effort ; and if they read its pages 
and admire, that I shall feel the incense from 
their hearts, and it will waft a note of melody 
to my ears. 



SECTION VII. 

The pure and the beautiful flower ! 

Pointing to a white Japonica in the centre of a bouquet before 
the medium : 

Let thy own spirit be like it, an emblem of 
purity. With all the shades that surround thee, 
let thy own soul shine forth, a centre of beauty 



36 

around which the different shades of nature 
shall gather, as the lesser flowers gather around 
this, and the deep evergreen surrounds them. 
Every circle in life has its central beauty that 
attracts the outer. There is in every phase of 
matter and within every circle one centre. Be- 
hold creation, and see how all particles of matter 
revolve around a centre of beauty, as the earth 
and other planets around the glorious sun. 

This may be called a flower of fancy, an ideal 
thing, yet this arrangement of beauteous flow- 
ers «is the symbol of a great truth ; and all 
things which we conceive in the ideal are truths 
that exist, though fancy shapes them and bears 
them to us on the wings of the imagination. 
Thoughts are eternal, existing with God. They 
make up the sum of creation as surely as does 
the more material matter. When your spirit 
takes a thought from out the great space of in- 
tellect, it adds to the soul's dimensions as truly 
as particles of earth's materials add to the bulk 
of a body, or some known nutrition adds to the 
size and growth of the human form. Feed well 



37 

on the thoughts that nourish the soul. Take 
those that give the spirit an upward and full 
growth, Oh, scorn the thoughts that make thy soul 
grow poor. 

Go mark the hour when first we met ; thy 
harp was not then tuned ; it waited a skillful 
hand to draw forth its harmony. Have I per- 
formed faithfully \ Have I played upon thy 
harp-strings in beauty ] The blessed assurance 
to me is ever sweet to hear thee echo, " well 
done." Within thy spirit I will leave no harp- 
string untouched ; I w r ill tune them all to heav- 
en's harmony ; I will tune your harp to sweeter 
music yet : I will strike some sweeter chords ; I 
will play yet finer, finer melodies, till thy spirit 
has bathed in one eternal harmony. Life's music 
shall thrill thee ; it shall flow unbroken in sweet 
and heavenly strains. 

And is not thy faith riveted with a stronger 
chain \ Is it not linked on to eternity ? Oh, let 
many live around thee to love and cherish the 
good man's name when thy spirit comes home. 
Leave with them thy mantle of joy, leave with 



38 

them many earth blossoms that thy hand hath 
planted, blossoms that grew from seeds of heav- 
enly flowers gathered by thee in hours of com- 
munion. Leave no blank in thy existence ; fill 
all the circle with beauties around the central 
flower. 

Every spirit, every mortal draws around it a 
circle of other forms corresponding with the 
tiny blossoms that surround the central flower of 
beauty in the bouquet before me. If the central 
soul is pure, purity will be attracted. 

We are like flowers in God's gr,eat garden ; he 
that goes' forth to gather culls the larger flowers 
first, and then twines the smaller buds around 
them to form a beauteous contrast. So strive 
to have thy soul surrounded with buds of prom- 
ise, forms that are unfolded, and be thyself the 
opening flower, shedding fragrance on all around. 
Watch the little buds of beauty bursting forth 
to light and love ; w T atch them with the eye of 
duty. The dews of life will come down and rest 
upon the blossoms, and fragrance shall infuse it- 
self, penetrating the outer unfoldin.gSo 



39 

Now that I have found my way to earth in 
glowing language, I would give more leaves of 
knowledge, and facts, and things that are, and 
deposit them in the many kind hearts that have 
read my breathing of love. It claims not to be 
a perfect work. There is much that seeks kind 
charity's eye ; for we are all imperfect. To be per- 
fect would be to soar beyond our God, for he 
goes moving on in the infinite forever. The 
evergreen of our souls is the consciousness that 
we have yet to get and yet to learn. To go on- 
ward, homeward, heavenward, is the soul's bright 
star of thought, it is that that keeps it radiant 
through every night of gloom. 'T is joy to know 
there is enough, enough for all the pure desires 
that form within the growing soul. There' s 
measured out by the hand of our God a full 
equivalent of knowledge, adequate for every 
want in the great scale of existence. He keeps 
the balance weighed in evenness; in one there 
in the desire, in the other there is a measure rich 
to meet the want. Let us then trust to a fath- 
er's infinite wisdom that has provided food for 



40 

the hungry, garments for the naked, and living 
waters for the thirsty soul. 

Oh, ye that are faithless, come, gaze upon the 
works of the earth whereon ye abide ; bring God 
within that range of vision and see that there is 
not one existing want that his hand has not giv- 
en the means to supply. Come, if thou canst 
not see without, come within thine own world 
and see within thy form how as the desire 
exists, thy God meets it. Thy body craves the 
bread of earth, and it grows upon the earth. 
Thy spirit craves the bread of life, and it is 
found growing in the world of intellect. I have 
uttered these little truths for thee to read and 
give to others. Thou canst thyself be a volume 
daily unfolding new buds and flowers of beauty : 
for there is much in the language that goes from 
friend to friend, making volumes to be read by 
human hearts. Now keep thy soul passive and 
see how fast I pour within it words of truth and 
light for thee to give to others. The voice of 
my soul's whisperings is inaudible, and when I 
come, recognize my voice in thy inmost soul. 



41 



'T is better, far better, that the words I bring 
should be placed upon the spirit, — not that thy 
soul should be enveloped by a mantle to shut 
out thy material senses, — but I would stud thy 
soul with sparkling gems of truth. 

There are many in the spirit land who have 
not high motives of love and purity ; they would 
bid you walk in darkness and keep you there. 
Learn well to use thy reason ; to exercise thy 
powers of discrimination. Let not the spirit be 
warped by a one side view of the spirit life, 
rather let the soul stand forth in manly beauty, 
upright and pure, ready to take all of heaven's 
intelligences that come down to it. O, I have so 
much to breathe to thee of the soul's best culture, 
and how it can grow to beauteous symmetry by 
giving each and all the faculties their true un- 
foldings, that I find words wanting and these 
passing hours too short. 

4* 



42 



SECTION VIII. 

In the spot where memory lingers with fond 
endearments we have met again. The ripples of 
time are flowing gently on, and we are swell- 
ing the deep current that flows to those immor- 
tal shores where we shall wander united through 
the varied gradations of time ; for we are soul 
affinities, and will part not, no, never. 

Words are but feeble out-burstings when the 
soul is filled with love ; when it flows out to its 
kindred soul, the sweetest communion is silence. 
Unuttered words are deeply felt ; silent water, 
like the silent soul of love, is fathomless ; while 
rippling streams are changing ever. Thus our 
spirits may hold communion. Without the 
sound of voice we may speak the deepest lan- 
guage. Thou art never alone. When thy 
thought goes forth it meeteth me on my way to 
thee. 



43 

Have not the lessons of wisdom thou hast 
learned been of the deepest import % They have 
shown to thee the varied phase that dwells with- 
in the universe. Look on the two as one world ; 
they are fast, O, how fast, merging into one 
sphere, — the spiritual and the material. It 
matters not where the body is, for the spirit all 
attuned to love can join us in bliss. Thy spirit 
dwells in my spirit, and on the plain on which 
we dwell, all those darker forms will come some 
day and learn to drink as we have drank from 
out etherial fountains. 

All the beauty we have gazed on shall be left 
for other eyes. All of God's truth that has 
made us free and happy, is still the same eternal 
truth stereotyped in his book of nature for those 
sad forms to read; and all the sweet endear- 
ments of consolation that have been bound to 
thy soul, are not exhausted or lost ; they will go 
flowing on in tidal waves of love, till they dash 
against some sinking form, and roll him on 
progression's waves up to the haven where we 
have sailed. How beautiful the thought, that 



44 

a heavenly truth is never lost; a thought of 
beauty goes sweeping through the universe of 
space, till it finds a welcome in some heart. It 
leaves its impress there within the spirit shrine, 
and goes on forever, flowing and leaving its da- 
guerreotype of joy within another soul. And 
thus in time all must be blessed. For, dearest 
one, the thought that has made thee grow with 
life to-day, must ere the morrow be another's joy, 
and it will roll on through eternity, and paint a 
glowing picture on the darkest soul now in 
deepest misery. See thou this truth, all in time, 
must rise to God? No joy would there be for 
me did I know that in sin and sorrow one was 
lingering for eternity. Oh, sorrowing forms that 
I have seen! this is my joy, that what has 
blessed my soul with peace, will one day bless 
you. The thoughts that make up this soul of 
mine, I shall throw off as I gather brighter and 
more advanced beauties. The present truths 
that help me to grasp the brighter, I must pass 
to those below me. And so, kind spirit, let thy 
thoughts flow down to less developed forms, foi 



45 

thy soul hath beauties forthcoming that it knows 
not of. The bright glances of eternity, the 
noon-day beams of happiness, the morning rays 
of light, the twilight rays of softness, these all 
will come to thee, and to all who come with 
willing hearts to learn the truths of angels. 

My soul feels now more heavenly calm than 
ever before. I bathe to-night within a sea of 
joy. ' I see earth growing bright and green. I 
see on barren spots transplanted flowers, and 
then to thee my spirit comes with sweet congrat- 
ulations ; for I have seen the spot in life thy 
willing hand has made green. 

My love for humanity is strong, is ardent ; 
therefore let not my emotions dictate thee in thy 
earth course, farther than seemeth right to thee ; 
let reason ever be thy guide. I gaze on the 
heavenly side, thine eyes on the earthly. 

O, may I ever be willing and ready to go 
where love bids me ; where she calls me there am 
I, not of my own merit alone, for I go to do the 
work of him who hath done all things for me ; 
I go to waft a tithe of the joy that my soul swells 



46 

with. O, happy, happy hours, that bring our 
souls together. I'm here so near to thee to- 
night ! My spirit is so calm and happy ! O, let 
its influence so fall upon thy spirit, nor leave it 
till we again grasp the hand of love. I'm gath- 
ering now from earth the joys of youth. Your 
spirit is growing higher, and now it almost 
reaches mine. Its growth is sure and steady : 
Such an unfolding is best, 'tis most natural. 
Force not the bud. I do not wish to have thy 
spirit prematurely opened to the glories that 
await it. Your work thus far is faithfully done. 
To God .we owe the debt of gratitude, but 
we can pay him homage through hearts of 
love. 

And yet I linger. I cannot say adieu. Thy 
thoughts are mine, and mine are thine. And all 
forms may take a wreath ; if they but come and 
reach the hand of faith, they may all go forth 
and rejoice with immortal crowns. 



47 



SECTION IX. 

I love to come and dwell within the soul that 
echoes to the world the principles I teach. It 
is, O, how pleasant to come in the soul that is 
capacious and open for angel entrance. O, let 
us be thankful that we can commune. O, how 
much joy it is to me that I can bring my fond 
desires, and through this medium, mete them 
out to you, as you may want. 

When thy spirit shall come home and first 
awaken in the spirit-world, it shall gaze on the 
familiar form that has guarded it. And perfect 
w r ill be its home, with its great central attraction 
of love. It could not be at home were not its 
fondest affections to welcome it. Think not that 
I shall need some winged messenger to tell me 
when thou art dead ; to whisper to me when thy 
mortal heart goes back to mingle with its kin- 



4'8 

dred elements, and say, — "the soul that thou 
hast guarded and led, is this day borne to the 
spirit land." No, we are not so far removed as 
to wait a messenger to bear these tidings. O, 
let not a lingering doubt be within thy bosom 
that I shall be there to welcome thee ; for when 
mortality heaves the last expiring breath, and the 
spirit has its first respiration in a finer atmos- 
phere, remember that thy guardian will be there 
to introduce thy spirit into the mazes of these 
wondrous courts and lands, to usher thee into 
their noon-day of bliss ; for this dawn of light 
that now shines in thy spirit, will give thee noon- 
tide rays in heaven. 

Had thy soul passed away in its night of un- 
belief, it must have waited for its dawn of light, 
and many, many weary years of slow progression 
must have passed to bring thy soul to mine. 
Eejoice, rejoice dear one, that on earth we met ; 
for now thy twilight of life is calm and beauti- 
ful, and when thy soul passes away, it will be 
like the passing of the setting sun, throwing its 
rays of joy and light on all around. And now 



49 

that thou hast laid thy treasure here in heaven, 
there will be no distance between our souls 
when thy spirit is called. 

Yes, O yes, now begins the work of love ; for 
't is a work that can never have a close. These 
labors ne'er shall know an end ; I look not for 
their cessation, for with them comes a holy 
calm and joy. I call for duties that I may have 
the peace that they bring to my soul. 

I ever dwell with thee. In thy soul's aggre- 
gate of beauty, there I ever abide. In thy spirit- 
longings thy guardian lives. In the plant, the 
stem, the leaf, the flower, require different grada- 
tions of heat, light and pressure, to bring them 
to maturity. Each has different demands upon 
nature, but they all combine in one plant, all 
tend to the beauteous blossom. Thus thy soul 
has different demands, and spirits of different 
shades and degrees will ever be around thee, and 
all. The force that adds and contributes to the 
growth of the leaf, mingles not with, nor de- 
tracts from, the blossom or its fragrance. The 
power of another grade of spirit life, that might 



50 

be drawn to thee by some faculty of thy soul, 
lessens not my influence. As the blossom is the 
highest manifestation of life exhibited in the 
plant, so thy spirit-longings are the highest 
within thee. 'T is in them I would dwell, live, 
and blossom in fragrance. Thoughts shall flow 
into thy being, new truths shall ever nourish thy 
soul ; and let not thy brother hunger, but let 
him have food also; though many think 'tis 
unsubstantial food. 

There are spirit forms now waiting here to 
shed their tear of love. There are garlands 
woven that are waiting for brows to wear. 
There are diamonds bright and polished that 
spirits of love and affection are holding forth to 
stud immortal souls with beauty. 

And here let me breathe my feelings forth and 
give the children of earth 



51 

An Invitation to the Spirit Land. 

Sorrowing souls, that wait for sympathy, there 
is balm in heaven that can heal thee, can soothe 
your aching hearts. 

Souls that now mourn for lost ones gone 
before, come and gaze, for here you will find true 
echoes of affection. 

Souls of darkness and error, come forth ! there* 
is light for thee. Our God is thy God ; our 
heaven can be thy heaven also. 

Youth, bright and joyous, dwelling in antici- 
pation's fondest dreams, come, and bear our 
golden anchor of realization. 

Old age, turn the uplifted eye with faith, thy 
day of rejoicing is near at hand, and thy soul is 
about to enter those immortal courts, where time 
is no more. Come thou, also and take the flower 
of life we freely offer. 

Come Love and Beauty together at the shrine, 
and learn thy God, the God of universal love. 

Come Sorrow and Sadness, for thy tears shall 
be wiped away. 



52 

Come, also, Joy and Gladness^ for thy offer- 
ings are acceptable at the shrine of spirit de- 
votion. 

Come, Wisdom and Knowledge , for here are 
fountains of truth untasted ; here are worlds of 
life that wait thy deepest investigations. 

Then wait not ; wait no longer ; leave us not; 
turn not from us in sadness. Come, meet us in 
fond recognition and we will bear your souls 
home in chariots of love, tune for you our 
golden harps, strike the beauteous chords of 
melody, and meet thee, O, earth and thy children. 



SECTION X. 



Here discord does not dwell. Here, within 
this spirit shrine, there is a sanctity that per- 
vades her being, and in it how I love, O, how I 
love to come. These words are not in flattery ; 



53 

they are the thoughts I feel, and well I know 
you feel. 

Do you not observe how similar grow our 
tastes and feelings I The medium you love best 
is where I love best to linger ; but yet my heart 
goes out to all in kindly love, and where I find 
a channel, through which to send my thoughts, 
I love it none the less because I have a favorite 
retreat, a bower where first we met, the place 
where first my hand grasped thine, and thy soul 
first felt the warm pulsations of love and heav- 
enly calmness stealing over it. Dost thou re- 
member the hour of placid joy that stole across 
thy senses when first we met % Thy joys have 
not grown less ; O, no ! I see thy spirit with its 
germ of life attracting daily new particles of 
truth. I see thy spirit soften in love's genial at- 
mosphere, and thy finer being plume its wings 
for heaven. 'T is retrospection that shows us 
how we have advanced. Thou art now walking 
beside me. If in the pilgrimage of life I pre- 
ceded thee, it was only to send back to thee in 
thy pathway, the beauties I gathered on mine. 

6* 



54 



And how they have hastened thee on the jour- 
ney of progression. How rapidly they have 
borne thy spirit to its home. As the long absent 
mariner when he nears his native port, with the 
eye of thought catches a view of the home of 
his childhood, so thy spirit has caught a glimpse 
of its mansion in heaven, and feels a new im- 
pulse to its power of motion ; — soon thy long 
absent soul will reach its home of rest. Home, 
O, heavenly home ! Thy spirit has neared its 
port, and stands gazing on its place of rest. O, 
gaze, dear one, keep the loved mansion in view. 
The storms on the voyage of Hfe are nearly 
over, and thy spirit is almost nestled in its heav- 
enly home. A fond one awaits thee there, or it 
would not be thy home — blessed home of the 
spirits — spot where fond endearments twine - — 
place where thy memory stores her happiness. 
Yes, sweet, sweet heavenly home, all that affection 
loves will be there. Forms endeared by memory 
are ever waiting at that home. As on earth, the 
ties of affection and love stand waiting for the 
absent form, so here am I waiting to welcome 



55 

thee home. For is not memory here ? Are not 
the golden hours of blest communion in which 
we have met and had sweet converse, are they 
not all here % Recollections throng busily here ; 
words of love have flown to thee from a soul of 
love that waits for thee. Sweet, sweet, heaven- 
ly home, this shall be thy chant of joy when thy 
spirit stands within its mansion here. "Welcom- 
ing choirs shall echo back the strains, and roll- 
ing melody shall float around thy soul, singing 
home, blessed home. Now our spirits blend, the 
souls within have found their points of attrac- 
tion, and the two lives flow into one. 

And now that I have breathed forth the com- 
ing beauties of thy heavenly mansion, I will 
wing my spirit near to thy material form, and 
speak of the things around us that make up the 
duties and joys of life. We will talk together. 
I am seated by thy side. In one sympathy, one 
hope, one trust, let our souls flow out. Already 
has thy hand reached forth and gathered blos- 
soms in advance of thy station. 



56 



I asked whether I had manifested too much interest in this faith. 
She remarked : 

Can the soul gather in too much beauty \ 
Hast thou any bliss to part with now % Are not 
all thy streams of joy necessary \ Has thy soul 
gathered too many blossoms % 

Be ready as opportunity comes, to distribute 
from thy abundance. Already have I watched 
the willingness with which thy hand has given. 
O, still be willing, and never deny a child of 
God a beauty that has cheered thee. They are 
thine only in possession ; they are mine only to 
distribute. I will keep thy soul richly sup- 
plied; for many souls that walk abroad are now 
famishing for the food thou shalt have to impart. 



57 



SECTION XI. 

At the request of some little children, Flora addressed them sev- 
erally, as follows : 

To Caroline, a young medium who had been seriously afflicted 
by the possession of unprogressed spirits. 

Child of affliction, thou has seen the light and 
shade ; remember that they make the picture of 
life. Dear one, thou hast been the avenue for 
beauty and sin. Earth has seen through thee 
the varied degrees of existence in other spheres. 
May thy soul be forever kept in the right, and 
thy spirit lose none of its higher sense of duty 
to God, because by thee a picture of sorrow has 
been presented. 

May this be but an emblem of thy life ; one 
hand of sympathy reaching down and drawing 
up the starved and hungry souls, while the other 
wipes away their tears and sends them home re- 
joicing. 



58 

To Elizabeth, a little girl. 

Sweet child of beauty, I love the little buds 
of life. O, how beautifully they twine with flow- 
ers of larger growth. Happy child, spirit yet 
unopened. Softly on the wings of love would I 
bear thee gentle words, to tell thee how I love 
thee. Childhood is dear to me, memory lingers 
around it in delicate tendrils. 

Little one, may thy heart be ever as w pure as 
now. Keep thy soul bright and loving, that an- 
gels may enter. Let the hands that God hath 
given thee be reached forth only for truth. In- 
vite kind angels to thy home, and they shall 
bring thee spring-blown garlands, made of flow- 
ers that never fade. 

To Little Mary. 

Tell her there is no thought of her young 
soul but is known and felt far, far away, where 
her eyes see not ; that her thoughts of love and 
beauty bear her up to angels of love, while 
thoughts of shade and folly lead her down to 



59 

darker forms. This little truth will keep the 
spirit guarded, and tend to make the whole 
soul flow out to angels bright ; for they stand 
ready to call her to joy, to life, to happiness, and 
then they will never leave her, but ever drop upon 
her path, one by one, life's golden flowers, with 
which she may adorn the soul, and become fitted 
to walk in God's bright paradise, where she may 
gather brighter flowers to give unto others. Tell 
her that Flora breathes these strains of love, and 
waits to greet her if it be found best that she 
come to meet us in our hours of communion. 

To little Theodore. 

Dear youthful traveller in life's great winding 
pathway, what are the flowers that thou wouldst 
pluck to carry home with thee to heaven 1 Flo- 
ra, the spirit of love, would bring you first the 
bud of truth ; then gather around it thickly the 
bright opening blossoms of goodness. 

Dear, youthful heart, just bursting forth thy 
leaves to life's bright morning, with varied feel- 
ings of hope and joy, beauty and trust, all whis- 



60 

pering to thy little soul like so many attending 
angels. O, take them by the hand and let them 
be thy childhood's playmates. Keep them, dear 
one, around thee, and grow up to manhood with 
Goodness walking by thy side. Look on this 
great day of life, this long eternal day, and never 
neglect the golden opportunity to plant little 
flowers by thy pathway. Love all, all who lin- 
ger in this world with thee, for thou has learned 
to love thy God, and he has made them all. 
Make life all flowery and pleasant, and be thy- 
self a beauteous bud of hope to the hearts of 
loving parents. Open in sweetness to thy moth- 
er's heart. Open in beauty to thy fathers soul. 
Gather in trust and linger forever on thy moth- 
er's breast. Come to thy father's arms, a grow- 
ing, bursting, flower of life. Then let them 
never shed a tear for thee, but go thyself oft- 
times, and shed a tear of pity for misery, and be 
thou a friend to those in sorrow. 



61 



SECTION XII. 

Happy hours : quiet hours : hours of golden 
memory are these. Hours that bring the glori- 
ous day when we shall meet face to face, and the 
little cloud that has kept thy material gaze from 
beholding thy own guardian will pass away, and 
all these happy hours around which memory lin- 
gers will come hovering back, and we shall gaze 
upon the little links that bind us closer at each 
meeting. Dear little moments, flitting by and 
drawing two loved hearts together. Golden 
hours stay with us ; beauteous flowers fall round 
us. Keep us in fragrance till we meet, meet in 
our spirit bower. Let the flowers of to-day 
cheer us for to-morrow T . Let the blossoms yet to 
come, chase away all sorrow. I am so happy 
now, talking by thy side, nearer, yes, nearer to 
thee than ever before. My harp is growing me- 
lodious, so that I can linger near it and hear no 



62 

tones of discord falling on my ear. Your guar- 
dian to-night is not in some far-distant star look- 
ing down on thee with a twinkling ray of light, 
but is here ; yes, Flora is here, very near to thee. 
Thy pure thoughts that have been ascending 
have brought thee near to me, and from this 
hour our walk is closer : so close that a whis- 
pered tone is heard; so near that no shadowy 
thought can obscure me from thy gaze, for it 
can not find place between my spirit and thine 
in which to rest : so near that every minor act 
of thy days is seen by me, the smile of recogni- 
tion or the look of doubt ; so near am I to thee 
that thy soul has turned away from its anchor of 
hope to the truths of joyful realization. Hence- 
forth we will tread the rosy path of life togeth- 
er. We join our hands in the performance of 
duty, while angels around are chanting in heav- 
enly lays, bright spirits are dropping in our 
pathway beauteous flowers for us to gather, and 
hearts of love are bounding forth with joy that 
heaven has found and given to earth a loving 
angel bride. The curtain is fast rising and holy 



63 



beings flock around to see the union of two 
souls, to see life coming from the tomb, and to 
see immortal time decking us with a love-gar- 
land from bowers of eternal beauty. 

Did you wonder that I said " golden hours ] " 
The joys and the sorrows of to-morrow will be 
thine and mine together. 

Would'st thou gaze upon the temple in which 
time and his bright angels stand to greet us. 
Look at that glorious arch, beneath it we will 
walk together. All that have gone before, have 
gone hand in hand, each, with a loving soul. 
O'er this arch-way see inscribed in diamond 
letters " eternity's mates." Silvery winged 
doves are hovering around ; and look ! see you 
those marble fountains from which the waters of 
eternal joy go bubbling up I Hope bears to 
us in a golden goblet its pure waters, and we 
drink from it together to thirst no more, for the 
waters of life will course through our veins. Lo ! 
joy comes to meet us with a crown of sparkling 
gems, and places it on our brows, and while the 
pearls drop thick and fast around, wisdom comes 



64 

forth robed in bright garments and gathers them 
up and places them in the hand of time, who 
holds the precious gems, and at our calling will 
give them to us again, and we shall find that 
they have gathered greater brillancy. He calls 
us to his golden chariot. We will enter and 
ride on together ; ride on through time, ride on 
through eternity. With wings of love well fly 
o'er sorrows here, onward and homeward. O, 
how our souls have gathered wings, with which 
to flee to sorrow, to love, to the abodes of mis- 
ery, to the temples of joy. These are the soul's 
bright pinions, thoughts, that take us where we 
should go. Now, homeward let us fly together. 
When we are called by sorrow's tear, let us 
plume our wings of love for they will surely take 
us thither. This is a starry hour in our constel- 
lation of love. These moments are diamonds on 
the brow of Time, and how they cluster there. 
But when we have filled his brow with gems, 
where will our souls be wandering % O, perhaps 
in some starry realm, some world where dia- 
mond stars are glowing, where moonbeams play 



65 



forever on our brows and sunbeams forever glow 
around our hearts ; where waves of glory bear 
our souls to more etherial worlds, and dazzling 
seraphs and archangels stand with diamonds on 
their brows gathered by Time's hand ; where 
thoughts are wings, and breath is all a fra- 
grance; and hearts are flowers that open their 
petals to seraphic dews. I fail to tell thee all, 
for how can I impart to you a realizing sense of 
joys that my own soul finds itself unable fully to 
comprehend ; for on, and on, in the great realm 
of space flows the tide of joy. 



SECTION X III. 

"We approach nearer each to the other ; and 
O, let us meet in love and truth. I find words 
feeble and language impotent to portray the vol- 
umes of feeling that dwell in my soul. The deep 
current of love that dwells within me, that would 

6* 



66 

come from God through me to thee, I can ex- 
press only in part O, that I could spread out 
my wings of affection and take all, all God's 
children. I would fold them o'er the unfortunate, 
the downcast, the oppressed ; and rest assured, 
dear one, that in this outflowing they would 
hover none the less around thee. 

But do not let my coming engross thy mind, 
and keep it from the labors of thy earth-life ; 
rather let it induce a spirit of love and gentleness 
to pervade thy soul. Thou canst wear the lily of 
affection through the storms and be none the less 
engaged in the duties of life, canst thou not % 
Let the stream of affection flow into thy soul, not 
thy soul flow into affection. Keep all the other 
faculties in full play and power, and let affection 
come like fragrance to the flower. 

The soul's language is unuttered; 'tis like the 
brook, 't is like the breeze, 't is a principle of re- 
finement that calls for no outward demonstra- 
tion. Two souls can meet, and without words 
exchange deep flowing thoughts coming from an 
exhaustless fount of love. 



67 

'T is thy guardian that comes and lays the arm 
of love around thy form and throws the influence 
mild upon thy soul, and brings it dews of heav- 
en ; that makes thy spirit melt in love and ten- 
derness. 'T is thy guardian that comes, and ac- 
cording to thy powers of development weaves 
those garlands of beauty that are pictured before 
thy vision ; and this is when we labor together. 
I give the picture, you tell to those that linger 
around, and from these conceptions of truth much 
instruction is conveyed ; and therefrom shall flow 
a stream of truth that will work and wind 
itself imperceptibly into their souls, while on the 
stream shall float the flowers of spirit con- 
ception. It seems a little thing perhaps to 
thee ; but the symbols have deep meaning, they 
are pictures for thee to gaze upon, and tell to 
earth's children the light and shade that make 
them. Yes, together we will labor. If I paint 
the picture thou, gazing thereon, will give to 
thy friends glorious conceptions of spirit imagery, 
of thoughts conveyed by forms, of beautiful 
flowers of life that are blooming for them all, of 



68 

the glorious temples of wisdom that await them, 
of high celestial arch-ways through which their 
souls will pass, and of angel bowers where they 
may repose, even while here ; for all can make 
their souls a bower, a bright celestial bower 
where invited angels may repose, may have lov- 
ing forms to walk beside them, to bring them 
hope's anchor of deepest evergreen. "Why 
should not all have an angel to guard them ? 
"Why may not every one have friendly arms of 
love to repose in ? I see arms of affection that 
are waiting. Come, wanderer, and fondly re- 
pose. Come and take the waters of life they 
bring to thee. 

There are hearts in heaven 

That are waiting for all, 
There are hearts on earth 

That must answer the call. 

Why will you linger 1 Why will you doubt- 
ing stand away % 

I feel so near to earth to-night ; I feel so near 
to him I guard, I would that those who stand 



69 

waiting in my courts with me could come and 
feel that dear ones would listen to their voices, 
while they approach once again the scenes of 
earth. We cannot walk into the abodes of child- 
hood and take the hand of affection and memo- 
ry the same as when we dwelt in the flesh, for 
we have changed. Yet we can come another 
way ; we can walk in avenues God hath given 
us, can come and dwell in a form of clay most 
in affinity with our own, and there embody our 
presence ; we can come with all our spirit long- 
ings and desires, and appeal to hearts of love. 
O, welcome us ; accept our offerings, earth and 
thy children, and we will bear you such immor- 
tal crowns as the spirit has never conceived of, 
woven on the banks of time, gathered from im- 
mortal gardens. This is an appeal to others in 
behalf of their spirit friends. I need make no 
anxious appeal to thy soul, for already have I 
found an entrance and sit within its courts. 
Thy thought is mine, and my love is all thine 
own. Our emotions are mingled, our sympathy 
is joined together. Our faith is one star, our 



70 

aspirations one opening rose, our wreaths of 
hope are hanging on one anchor, our crosses of 
life are nailed together. Together at the morn- 
ing hour let us blend our orisons to God. Let 
us send them up like the rising sun that beams 
upon the earth, and when it shines forth at the 
uoon-day hour, let the heart's full thanksgiving 
rise like the full glowing beams of that light ; 
and then when it wanes at the eventide, and its 
rays are passing away, let our souls flow out in 
holy trust and calm repose till we sink away, 
like the glorious sun, in the arms of faith to 
rest. 



SECTION XIV. 

Let words be ours to-night, words that shall 
melt the soul with the flow of heavenly softness, 
words that shall cheer the heart and deck it with 
eternity's foliage. 



71 

Fast have the flowing currents of joy been 
pouring into thy soul, and rapidly has the stream 
of time borne thee on to heavenly bliss. Un- 
numbered are the garlands that are woven for 
thee and as fast as thy spirit changes from one 
perception of beauty to another, so shall a gar- 
land descend. 

I feel to-night all love and happiness, my soul 
seems flowing out in the current of affection, 
and I would bear a wave of joy to all. I would 
that earth's children could wear the garland that 
I wear. I would love to see the flowers of par- 
adise blooming and growing among the thick 
hedges of error. I would that the rays of love 
might shine on every heart ; and how shall I best 
bear my affection ? what genial breeze will waft 
it to their spirits and let them know of the fond 
arms that are waiting to clasp fond hearts in 
their embrace? With outstretched arms God 
holds the universe, and he sends his angels with 
sheltering wings to keep his children in the path 
of love. I spread my pinions around thy path, 
and thou canst not stray. Thou canst not stray 



72 

from me, but thou wilt stray with me, and to- 
gether we will go on with angels to their courts 
in heaven ; and we will pray for the universal 
tide of salvation that flows unto all men alike. 
I love the sad hearts that recognize na angel 
hands. I love the lowly of earth, they that walk 
not in lighted halls, that tread not in the mazy 
dance, that go not with the glowing pace of 
music ; they that weaj not the crown of distinc- 
tion made of material things; my sympathy 
flows out to them, to those that linger in the 
wayside places, that have no lighted mansions, 
that hear no music save the cold bleak wind that 
whistles around their forms, and the moan of 
starvation and neglect that comes from the little 
buds of life that ought to be growing, cultured 
and trained with a hand of sympathy. 

Dear one, how shall we bring them but on the 
stream of affection ? It has no dark, murmur- 
ing waves ; but a gentle, gliding, silvery stream 
of love that will take them all to God. My harp 
to-night is tuned to the melody of love, and the 
burden of the song I bear, is, — waft them home 



73 



in sweetness, they are all treading the courts of 
eternity. Had they not better come 'mid flow- 
ers and stars \ Had they not better walk in the 
pathway paved with celestial gems, where at 
every step the spirit walks mid pearls, and the 
soul reflects among the diamonds its image of 
life and beauty ? Let us walk where flowers 
bloom, let us leave the desert of sorrow, for God 
made it not for us to tarry in, but from contrast 
to know what bliss there is mid roses and lilies ; 
and may we tread this pathway forever, saith 
the soul of man. The spirit of the man within 
may be so tuned to harmony and love, that when 
he walks mid errors and thorns, the beauty that 
glows within him will reflect on them its own 
sweetness. Thus he can make the brier seem a 
blooming rose; find beauty in all things 
growing around ; will see in undeveloped mat- 
ter the great principle of progression, and 
then, even the thorn that grows beside the rose, 
will be a thing of beauty to his bright percep- 
tions. He will see in the soul of error the 
spark of Divinity. He will see the life germ 



74 

though shrouded by an atmosphere of sin; and its 
internal love and beauty he will behold break- 
ing through the cloud and bursting forth in 
rays of love. A sun of heavenly rays will warm 
his spirit and call it forth to bright unfoldings, 
as the sun's rays call forth the little flowers. 
How like the flowers we grow, and how 
like them we are nourished. How we need the 
hand of culture to prune the dead leaves and 
branches, and how we open and unfold as light 
and heat comes in ; but neglected, how unsight- 
ly we branch forth, how angular the spirit 
faculties grow, and the strength and vitality 
that should be called forth to the spiritual, or 
the bud, is lost in shooting branches that go 
creeping near the ground. The vital principle 
of the spiritual nature, if not brought to a focus 
or a bud, will go forcing itself through the 
varied faculties of the soul, and the finer princi- 
ple that makes the fragrance is lost in the 
spreading leaves, as we grow, and grow to them 
and not to flowers. Ye know that the fruitful 
tree is one that is small in branches, and so of 



75 

the soul that grows and buds for fruit immortal. 
The power that 's drawn from the leaves and the 
natural branches, goes to make a heavenly bear- 
ing tree, that yields its fruit immortal, that 
throws up its life current to the bud, and swells 
it to the flower. 

Let us take the book of life and so fill it, 
that each page shall glow with sympathy and 
affection. Let the truths they convey be in- 
terwoven with seraphs' bright garlands, inter- 
spersed with anchors of hope, thickly studded 
with gems of faith and trust ; and through the 
volume let one object have prominency, one 
theme inspire, and that theme, Love. 

We must carry gifts to earth's children, 
best suited to their wants. I would not give a 
harp to a deaf man, nor beauteous flowers to the 
blind. With discretion let us bear them, and 
strew the gifts of Deity along life's pathway, 
suited to the capacities of the recipients. Carry 
not roses to the hungry man, nor food to the 
dying. Carry not pinions to the lame man, nor 
chariots to the bright feathered songsters. 



76 

Give not moon to the morning light, nor sun's 
rays to darkness. Give not landscapes to the 
beggar, feed him with material things, give them 
to him and not to angels. To spirits bright that 
would lead you, give stars and diamonds of thy 
soul ; give fragrance of thy flowers, the melody 
of thy harp, the noonbeam of thy happiness, the 
sun ray of thy joy. Learn well to know what is 
best to give at all seasons and at all times ; ap- 
propriate thy bounties for the hour and the occa- 
sion that call for thy varied gifts. Give not a 
prayer to him that comes asking for the bounties 
of earth, but send thy prayer to heaven that thy 
soul have means to give. In the labor of life 
there is sweet reward ; the angel of time writes 
on the scroll of life the deeds of thy soul. 
Time, the ever present angel, records thy deeds 
of life, and in revolving eternity we meet the 
deeds of yesterday and the works of to-morrow. 
They are there on the pages of the great life- 
book, and we turn the leaves again, and again, 
and again, and read the acts and thoughts of the 
past ; and the future reflects with its heavenly 



77 



rays, and shines with golden charity on the lines 
of darkness. 



SECTION XV. 

An unknown spirit spoke of Flora as follows : 

Blest and favored mortal, there is a bird of 
celestial plumage that wings her way to thee, 
and I have watched her coming. She bears thee 
love's garlands, and I have seen her fly away 
again with golden tints of joy on her wings, 
gathered from the pleasures of the hour. And 
wouldst thou know somewhat of her, which her 
beauteous modesty keeps back? Well do I 
know her lily soul and the pearly truths of wis- 
dom she gathers to herself. Our courts would 
be sad without her ; she brings an ocean of bliss 
wherever she comes. Her hand is ever ready to 
stretch forth to wanderers ; and spirits that 
come here bewildered in the death shroud she 
decks in the spring garments of love. You are 

7* 



78 

not alone the recipient of her love-tide ; count- 
less are the spirits that kneel to her in gratitude 
for the flowers of life she brought them." The 
aged know her, and they bless her ; the youth- 
ful heart clings to her like the green tendrils of 
spring ; the dark, the sorrowing, and the miser- 
able have heard her silvery voice chiming in their 
souls. Affection is the court she dwells in, and 
love is the entrance thereto. Long may thy 
happiness flow. Thy soul has to this hour been 
filled with joy and gratitude. Let it now over- 
flow and gush out ; let the stream of gratitude 
gush forth and wind itself around thy course, 
and bear on its tide millions more to the shrine 
of love. Be thou a fount of happiness from 
this hour. Be not only filled, but overflowing, 
that many may drink through thee, the waters 
of life : let them catch from thy fullness, and 
may thy fount be ever sparkling with pearly 
drops adequate to reflect the heavenly glory that 
shines from Flora, thy guardian. These are 
but feeblest expressions, and they bear to thee 



79 

only a tithe of joy she fills us with. Now I will 
depart : you know me not. 



SECTION XVI. 



Flora continued. 

Though we performed a duty yesterday, we 
will keep it fresh by one of to-day. If to-day we 
have gathered a tiny bud from the great garden 
of life, to-morrow we will place beside it a green 
leaf or an open flower. We will add pearls to 
pearls and diamonds to diamonds. With noble 
zest and energy we will seize on the anchor of 
life, and with holy trust in him whose powers 
are all sufficient to sustain us, we will bow to no 
obstacle that arises between us and duty. On- 
ward, forever onward, crushing with the hand of 
faith the dead leaves and branches that keep 
from our grasp the little bud whose life was pro- 



80 

longed beyond its neighboring shoots and leaves 
as the summer's last rose stands 'mid withered 
boughs. Every thing of life that is waiting for 
a kindly hand to take, we will make ours, and 
mind not the thorns and hedges that surround 
it. The flowing stream of love will wear in 
time the hardest stone. Hearts of adamant will 
soften by continued drops of affection. Let us 
be a current of life and love, and let the tide be 
humanity; let all waves be joy, and on them 
be borne glad tidings to all mankind. We 
will not wait for the inflowing, but w r e will 
ever be outflowing. "We will not wait 
till we see dawning in the horizon the star 
of hope ere we send one kindly ray to the 
sorrowing. We will not stay for a duplicate of 
joy ere we share that we have with our brother, 
but give freely ; give, remembering it is more 
blessed than to receive ; and were this rule uni- 
versally obeyed, who would be wanting for gifts; 
did all bestow alike, all would be receiving. 
The good thou hast imparted to-day, would be 
filled by a joy thy brother would give thee to- 



81 



morrow. O, hasten, heavenly breezes, quickly 
speed the hour when the harps of earth and 
heaven shall be tuned in unison. Glad angels 
usher it in. Tidings from thee to me are hast- 
ening it ; fond messages from the departed are 
like so many beams of the morning light that is 
soon to dawn. Waiting choirs of seraphs stand 
to chant the lay, and archangels would tune 
their harps to catch their echo. Christ with his 
blest exulting seraphs, is standing to welcome 
the angel morning. Well may earth rejoice. 
Flow on, flow on, thou mighty stream of joy, 
that bears the bark of spirit forms, landing at 
earthly mansions. Float on, float on, bright 
gondoliers, freighted with angels bright. Fly 
on, fly on, ye fairy boats, bearing guardians of 
truth and life to earth's children. Gather now 
ye sad ones of earth on the shore and gaze ; 
stand, waiting hearts of hope ; come hither mul- 
titudes and throng the river's bank, for on this 
angel stream I see coursing noble vessels filled 
with the dear departed that left thee at the 
tomb and the grave; their farewell lingers yet 



82 

on thy ears. But speedily will they come, bear- 
ing to thee life-blossoms. How fast they're 
flowing. O, tell them who stand afar from these 
shores, not to let disappointment rest upon the 
brows of millions who are sailing down this 
stream. Have they no port prepared where 
spirit friends, where dear departed ones may an- 
chor ? Is there no land of recognition 1 

O, stand no longer weeping o'er the tomb ; 
throw not your garlands on the mound of earth; 
drop not your tears on the place of dust, but 
come to the angel shore, stand on the banks of 
Time's flowing river, and soon will a bark of 
loving forms sail down. Be ye there to meet 
them. Come, come, O, come and gaze, see the 
bright sails spreading, see them furled in 
heaven. 



83 



SECTION XVII. 

On this occasion Flora gave the following description of the va- 
rious beauties in the garden of the Soul. 

Humility. 

Humility is the flower I bring to-night. 
Let us plant it anew in the soul, for it is the 
sweetest flower that grows in the paradise of 
God. It opens so tenderly for the dews of heav- 
en; it unfolds so gently, so quietly. While 
gayer buds are blooming, and taller plants are 
waving proudly in the breeze, waiting the ad- 
miring gaze of travellers, this lowly plant, hu- 
mility, is sending out its rich and sweet perfume 
that the more ambitious blossom loses in its 
towering aspiration. 

To keep the spirit humble and lowly, is a 
truth that is written on the tablet of every soul ; 



84 



but the ambition of time often obliterates it. He 
that walks lowly shall gather many pebbles that 
the aspirant of fame has trod upon. 

Charity. 

There is another tender blossom that I would 
bring. It is the running, clinging flower of 
charity. How deeply painted, how beautifully 
dyed by the sunbeams of righteousness it grows. 
How tenderly it looks out on the smaller blos- 
soms, and bends its head that they may catch its 
sweet, soft fragrance; and then when autumn 
sears its neighboring plants, it kindly scatters its 
leaves on them and covers up their decay. And 
when some little bud of life is fainting, the dews 
of heaven's sweet plant of charity invites some 
summer breeze to take a leaf whereon some 
dew drop rests, and bear it to the parching bud. 
This blossom never dies ; it scatters its leaves 
and blooms again. Blest flower of charity ! 



85 



Sympathy. 

Another is the full-blown bud of sympathy. 
A beauteous flower of the soul. Its roots are 
so interwoven and twined with all the flowers of 
earth, that it takes from the vital force only to 
send back again w r hen their winter comes. It is 
a bright spring blossom, whose currents run 
deep through the soil, and infuses its little drops 
of life that other flowers may spring up to earth 
brighter and more beauteous for its kindly aid. 
Its power is all unseen ; it runs along the cling- 
ing roots and holds them in a mighty grasp, and 
thus some distant rose is blooming and growing 
from the long continued force that the spring- 
flower of sympathy sends to give to her sister 
blossom. 

Hope. 

There is yet another brilliant bud called hope. 
Its nature is to be not fully blown but half 
unfolded to the light so as to catch the golden 



86 

rays that linger on it, and to keep them there in 
its bud-like embrace, and so when the night 
comes gathering on, and other blossoms have 
folded in their leaves of repose, the brilliant 
hope bud has retained the rays of the morning, 
and sends them on missions of good cheer to 
others. 



Love. 

There is another blossom that reigns queen of 
the mighty host. It is the crown imperial of 
the buds and blossoms that grow within the soul 
of man. It is the flower of love. 

'Tis all unfolded to celestial light, 

'T is always blooming to the child of night. 

Its fragrance is the gathered perfume of all 
other buds, the concentration of sweetness, the 
heavenly extract of purity, and it is the plant 
on which angels fold their wings and rest. It is 
a flower so mighty and growing that it reaches 



87 



out beyond the garden walls, and creeps along 
in twining beauty, clinging, from its own sweet- 
ness, to the walls of neighboring souls. It runs 
and mounts the highest frame w T ork of man's 
device. Ye cannot stay its mighty growth, for 
it is watered by seraphs. Angels, bright an- 
gels prune it. Divinity himself hath planted 
this heavenly flower of love. Long may its per- 
fume fill our souls ; forever may its sweetness 
abide. It is the flower of eternity. There is 
not a human garden without it. It grows in the 
conservatories of archangels ; it creeps over the 
bowers of seraphs, and is planted by the hut of 
the demon. Let us traverse creation, and the 
universe, and we will find love the life-flower ; 
we'll find it every where a native plant. It 
goes twining round the borders of creation. It 
runs in spiral beauty through the centre of the 
universe, sending out its fragrance to the bor- 
ders, till their fragrance meets in beauty ec- 
static. 

'T is my flower, 5 t is thy flower, 't is creation's 
blossom of love: Let us take this flower at 



88 

parting, let us bring it at meeting, and let us 
wear it forever. 

When humanity cries for a blossom, we will 
give them a leaf from the love-plant. Let us 
nestle in this blossom till we meet again. 



SECTION XVIII. 

Now my spirit would speak in softer accents, 
in sweeter music, telling thee of all the celestial 
harmony that floats me on to love ; telling thee 
of my guardian care that watches over thy form, 
that leads thee ever in the path of truth ; that 
whispers softly to thee when thy spirit would go 
out in storms • that lays the gentle palm so lov- 
ingly upon thy brow when sorrow comes o'er 
thee ; that when evil would come nigh thee 
closes loving wings of protection around thy 
form to keep thee from its blight. 

But I can only whisper to thee while thou 



89 

dost linger on the earth. I can only whisper of 
ray love. The glorious majority ; the brightest 
reserve ; the yet untasted fruit is kept for thee. 
Buds unopened encircle my brow that will 
bloom when we meet ; smiles that my soul has 
kept will welcome thee ; love that rests in my 
bosom is kept for thee. I am giving thee but 
echoes, only little rays of the star that shines 
for thee. But they are enough to keep thy 
spirit homeward bound ; they are adequate to 
guide thee to the bosom that awaits thee; to 
the heart that hopes for thee. These little 
thoughts I send thee now are like so many stars 
at night, and I will keep thy firmament of hap- 
piness studded with their twinkling beauties. 
Thy eye of love shall continue to discover new 
constellations in the bright celestial canopy ; for 
in the firmament of thy faith those stars shall 
ever shine. And O, I hope that when thy spirit 
is called home, I may come within this medium 
temple and give thee my last whisper of earth. 
You know the pathway we tread ; know that 
I walk the same avenue of life and light thy 

8* 



90 



soul is treading ; and that a few rolling years 
will bring us together, where soul can echo back 
to soul, and hand grasp hand, and love whisper 
to love. Yes, face to face, and heart to heart 
shall we meet. But noble deeds are ours to do ; 
bright deeds of duty must be done. We will 
not meet without the crown that is gathered 
from the work of life ; and we will strive with 
a happy and beauteous ambition to see which 
coronet will shine the brightest. And if thy 
crown lacks diamonds and I have gathered more, 
I will give to thee. If thine is doubly studded, 
thou canst share with me. 

May our meeting be like that of two pure and 
placid streams, when wave meets wave in calm 
embrace. To make these bright waves thus 
meet and mingle, every faculty of the soul must 
be calm, magnetized and beautified by the labor 
of love. Then will our spirits meet and flow, 
bright thought to thought, and hope to hope ; 
and the mingled waters shall be like 

A little murmuring, running rill, 
Winding around some heavenly hill, 



91 

Coursing through the meadows bright, 
Flowing, sparkling in the light. 

Winding by some mossy dell, 
Where bloometh rose and heather bell ; 
Rolling through a grove where love 
Blendeth soul with soul above. 

Thus through an eternal mom, 
On that stream shall we be borne, 
Floating on the eddies bright, 
Sparkling with eternal light. 






SECTION XIX, 



We will carry to darkened souls the sweet 
lilies of life, the bursting blossoms. Our work 
calls us not often in the busy throng, nor in the 
gay assembly, but away in unfrequented dells. 
We 11 go to transplant blossoms oftener than to 
gaze on the beauteous garden. We will go to- 
gether and soothe the sorrowing ; we will make 
their moments happy ; we will carry balm from 
paradise ; we will bathe them in healing waters 



92 

that flow from the fount Elysian. It is no fan- 
cy fabric ; it is no mystical frame-work ; it is a 
mighty work that our hands united shall do to- 
gether. Our hearts and our sympathies united, 
our tears shall fall together on the blighted flow- 
ers of earth. Our hopes will twine one anchor ; 
we will bear one cross together, and together we 
will stand under the crown of life. 'T is only 
doing the work Christ bid us do, to cast out the* 
spirits of evil, and we with holy faith may lay 
claim to the promises that have been given, that 
greater works than Christ has done shall we 
do if we repose in his faith.* 

The labor of love, how sweet. The call that 
takes us to the needy, how welcome. The moan 
of sorrow shall ever be music to our ears ; for 
they call us to acts of love. We are anchored 
by all the beauties of nature : the little blooming 
violet makes sweet emotions within, and the soul 
has an appreciative ear for the wild tornado. 
We dearly love the little group of radiant an- 

♦John 14:12. 



93 

gels, and we are filled with awe and sympathy 
for the wild demon. So within us lies the just 
appreciation of all external forces. We love 
the still, soft moon, and the soul looks out and 
sees beauty in the flashing lightning also. We 
have particles within our nature that attract 
themselves to every atom of creation. We be- 
long to the great universe. We are gathered in 
sands of existence, and every particle that fills 
creation, and glows with the life principle, must 
find within us a natural echo. We affiliate 
with existence ; we are bound by a thousand 
chords to every grade of life ; we have emotions 
of the mineral, the vegetable, and the animal 
life. Creation is but a gradation of matter from 
the grosser to the finer, and the mass of human 
life has but one throb, one pulse, one tear, and 
one joy. One cradle rocks us in infant repose ; 
one fond parent takes us on his bosom ; one 
grave takes all that is left of the earthy ; and 
when nature claims her atoms of this frame- 
work, one welcome awaits us at the second birth. 
Humanity is biit one moving mass of love, 



94 

sympathy, and affection ; of hope, intelligence 
and spirituality. We represent but one tree of 
existence, the branches are the nations, and the 
leaves the individual forms. One great life-tree 
of eternity. Some leaves are fresh and budding, 
others are seared and fading. Our prolonged 
freshness is often kept by the life-current that 
should have gone to a neighboring leaf. The 
decay of some branches gives us a brighter tftit. 
We would not be the evergreen bough, and draw 
the life-sap from out a neighboring branch ; we 
would not progress when sorrow is stationary ; 
we would not bound with angel-pinions, and 
leave misery with eternity's woes engraven on 
the soul. No, ours is the work of life ; we have 
deeds to do that angels will record; we have 
dark garments to exchange for shining raiments ; 
we have many a cup of water to give in the 
name of Jesus; we have many angels to en- 
tertain unawares ; we have millions in prison that 
we must visit ; we have starving souls in pover- 
ty always with us ; these are glorious incentives 
to grasp immortality ; these are emulative tides 



95 

to float our spirits to the golden ocean where we 
will bound in billowy bliss, bliss forever. These 
darker sins behind us form the back ground and 
shade, so that our pictures of heavenly joys may 
stand out in glorious relief. 

We will never cease to work and love ; while 
time rolls on we will diamond the hours, gem 
the moments, star-crown the years with glitter- 
ing, glorious, heavenly deeds, with kind and 
loving charities. We will make our mountain 
tops glimmer with a rising luminary of love, 
dance our bliss in wavy joy, stud our canopy 
with celestial eyes, and life shall be sweet, filled 
with the labors of love. 

Prayer. 

Oh, my Father! have I guarded this heart 
aright % Have I crowned him with life-blossoms 
all eternal % Have I carried the incense of his 
gratitude to thy throne, and borne him back the 
fragrance of thy smiles % Have I softened the 
dews that fall around him ? Have I polished 



96 

the diamonds of eternal glory and given them to 
his gaze aright ? Oh, holy Father ! give me 
strength to lead him ; bright angels bring me 
language to bear my thoughts to him. Give me 
roses and their perfume to invite his spirit home- 
ward. Hand me the goblet sparkling with eter- 
nal nectar, that I may pass it to his lips. Kind 
Father, give me strength and power to caryy his 
soul to the golden portals of bliss, where thy 
love can bid him enter ; where thou canst shed 
thy bright effulgence of joy around him, and we 
can dwell within the golden temple together ; 
for thy hand will feed us ; thy love will clothe 
us, forever, our Father of Glory. 

My soul cannot tell all the love I feel for 
you. I would crown your spirit with stars and 
diamonds, so that I might gaze on their brightness. 
We have no exchange of sentiments, but one 
united, inseparable flow of joy forever. Blessed 
the fate that brought us together; bright the 
star that called our spirits to mingle. 

Now, the internal appeals to your soul are 



97 



far more real and abiding than the external. 
We cannot see the thought that gives us life 
and happiness ; we cannot gaze on the hope 
that lights us ; we cannot behold the faith that 
warms us ; but they are real existences, and be- 
long to God's universe ; and from them love and 
truth and beauty fall on thee, as fragrance fall- 
eth on the flower ere it can impart it. 

Flora ceased speaking, and the spirit of a little Scotch girl came 
and said : 

I bonnie Scotch flower. I dinna come to 
take the flower awav. The flower is bright, 
bright lass. The ringing tones of her fairy 
voice, the soft touch of her fair hand, is bright- 
er far than flowers that bloom in my father- 
land, that grow by the hill and the stream. 
And her fairy feet that glide around, and her 
wings, are swifter than the hours that fly o'er a 
bonnie dreamer. 

Blue are her bonnie eyes, and her feet fly 
swift as fairies ; but I dinna come to take the 
flower awa'. 

9 



98 



SECTION XX. 

How many doors has the soul of man. How 
multiplied are the avenues through wl^ch we 
walk to the soul. The balcony of thy love and 
affection is thrown out for me, and I stand upon 
it, even while the wide gateway of benevolence 
stands invitingly open for weary pilgrims. If 
in my coming I fill your soul with love, let that 
for me and thee suffice, and give to beggars thine 
own. If I bring joy enough for us to feed on, 
let it suffice, and give thy joy to the mourners. 
If thy spirit has a moonbeam of light, and I 
come with many rays, give the beam to darkness, 
and I will come bearing more to you. And 
part with the ray before I come, so that the soul 
give not from a superfluity, but from a scantity. 
It is the deed that is registered highest in heaven, 
when he that hath but one rose blooming in his 
garden, breaks it from the stem, takes it from 



99 



his gaze, and gives it to his brother. Is it not 
higher than the deed that parts with one from 
an abundance ? Is it sacrifice to bestow from 
out an overflow of bliss ? No ; rather would 
we part with the last beam of hope to light our 
brother home, than to wait for the moment 
when myriad rays illumine our path. The soul 
that drinks only from the fountain of self, finds 
the waters insipid. The drops must flow from 
heart to heart, to keep the waters pure and 
bright. As silent waters are dark and turbid, 
so are souls that gaze on self; but like the 
bounding, rolling, coursing brook, are souls that 
keep their stream of love winding through their 
neighbors' hearts. The little rill is made purer 
by its ceaseless flow. 



SECTION XXI, 



Now let our spirits join, and rove away in 
some Elysian land of bliss, where we can gather 
roses bright and brilliant, that the glorious day 



100 

would pale beside them. We have been wan- 
dering amid the buds ; we now will take the full 
blown flower, bursting with fragrance. "We 
have drank long and together from little rills, 
now let us roam the bounding oceans, where 
thoughts go moving on to shores immortal. 
Now let us grasp the bright conceptions, and 
plume our spirits to the bright ideals. Come 
let us away, away awhile, 

And sip from the nectar 

Of angels' bright streams, 
And fold our soft pinions 

In heavenly dreams. 

Let our spirits bask a while in the glow of 
eternity, and see how rapidly we can plume our 
flight celestial, on pinions of thought that flash 
on the diamond breeze, and the zephyr that 
wafts star-gems to your soul. We are roaming 
in etherial atmosphere. Now our souls are sub- 
limated and we have joined a fairy band that 
strikes its golden lyres while creation joins the 
chorus with a never ending chant of joy. Seest 



101 

thou those banks beyond, upon which love can 
clasp its mated love ? Here will we sit awhile 
and let the rolling brook flow on and bear to 
earth the burden of our song, which is, — to 
life and love we 're pledged. We will give them 
now, the bridal notes ; tell them of our dual 
flight, and how, with loving links, we twine 
around each other's soul. And yet love's bound- 
ary is not here ; our spirits flame with glowing 
zeal, into a shining, twining, flashing light, that 
sends its little sparks of love to earth's remotest 
bounds. 

With our united zeal, and with our fond affec- 
tion plighted, we '11 woo the soaring eagle pow- 
er and fly o'er ranging mountains, and sweetly 
list the welkin notes that are echoes of our love. 
The pathway is a rosy one ; it twines to heaven's 
inner courts. No fragmentary joy is growing 
there, but full unbroken streams of bliss, that 
flow in rippling melody to our hearts. This is 
the pathway we will tread ; this is the path- 
way which all immortal feet must traverse home 
to heaven. 

9* 



102 

Though we are only two pilgrims that wander 
through eternity, our twin born hopes will min- 
gle with the multitude to ascend on the orient 
wings of the morning up to our maker, God. 
The atmosphere is filled with diamonds and jew- 
els rare, let us catch them as they come. The 
beauties of heaven are falling and resting every- 
where. Can your spirit grow dim whsle the me- 
teoric showers, God's ruby star-showers, are fall- 
ing so thick and so fast ? Can the life blossom 
die while the dews of heaven water it? We 
will seek for the life that must live and last, till 
creation glows in its light. 

Now in a grotto of celestial beauty, where 
rosebuds sleep on beds of moss, and lilies kneel 
in prayers to diamonds ; where love goes twin- 
ing, budding o'er the arches of hope let us sit 
and nestle together. 

What carest thou for the body ? 'T is the 
mind that is all immortal ; and soon the earth- 
frame will crumble, and the life-gem within thee 
will be attracted by its own adherent powers to 
its echoing gem. These moments are heavenly 



103 



auxiliaries to that conjunction of bliss ; these 
hours are blessed enhancements ; these commun- 
ions are bounding- waves that bear thy spirit un- 
to mine. I give you all that you can bear, the 
blessed, the sweet reserve is folded in spirit buds 
that can only unfold in a finer atmosphere. But 
in a little while I w 7 ill give thee sweeter lyrics, 
sweet enough to fill the epicurean bliss of mor- 
tals here. I will bear thee enough to keep thy 
soul in a noonday chant ; enough to keep till 
the shadows of evening gather around ; till I 
strike the spirit lyre, and thy soul wakes in an- 
other life, immortal. 

The vine of my spirit is twining close around 
thy spirit-form ; let it be like the strong oak to 
bear me. 



104 



SECTION XXII. 

Let our spirits flow together like bright twin 
rivulets ; and one ecstatic flow of* bliss bound 
from thy heart to mine, so that all thy smiles 
and joys will find a love-echo in my spirit, and 
thy life be mirrored in my bosom. Let all thy 
waves of sorrow float next to mine, and bring 
thy love to me so that thy soul may ever find 
its duplicate of bliss. If these thoughts are too 
sacred and tender for the eyes of the multitude, 
keep them embosomed. If my spirit clings too 
tenderly around thine own for material atmos- 
phere, turn thou the tendrils from thy spirit, 
and let them run on time and immortality, bud- 
ding double hopes for thee. If I come too ab- 
sorbent in my affections : if I rob the fruitage 
of Affection's vine that belongs to other hearts, 
ask our Father to keep me pendant in celestial 
distance, where I can wave my pinions in grace- 



105 

ful beauty, and call thee to rest and to love. I 
would ever come to thee subordinate to all thy 
duties in life, and ask of thee only one bud of 
thy spirit that grows in love's garden. Human- 
ity has a thousand claims on thy spirit, and the 
atoms of thy existence have each an adherent 
particle, and a thousand hearts sing in melody 
to thee ; and thou canst sing with them in con- 
cert and meet their souls, and still, our lyres can 
be tuned together, and we can chant another 
song ; we can sing in soft, dulcet strains, and 
# then join in the chorus of humanity. We must 
linger and dwell with the many while sending 
out our spirits in the avenues of love, for we 
meet in soul, we meet in locality. These roving 
souls are not confined to boundaries and hori- 
zons. We can pinion our thoughts, and fly to- 
gether through seraphic space, and warble in 
bird-like beauty, and send our bounding melody 
to the ether blue above ; and on some distant star 
perchance our souls may meet sometimes, and 
borrow waves of glorious love, while humanity 
pays the debt in gratitude. Shall we rob divin- 



106 



ity if we catch a far distant glory to illumine 
the path of the sorrowing X Shall we detract 
from omnipotence when the spirit bounds into 
sweet seraphic lands and asks for the crown arch- 
angels wear ? And may we not without assump- 
tion borrow the eagle's wings, and with electric 
flight, traverse the golden range of Deity, and 
ask for a pearl of creative power, that we may 
wear the jewel bright for the sad and the dying ? 
Angels will lend us all their lyres to sing a song 
for earth. Archangels bright will go uncrowned 
awhile, and bring to earth their starry crowns < 
for us to wear, if we but ask them. Our -God 
of love will at our asking divide his jewels and 
his gems, will give unmeasured stars if our souls 
can only wider grow, and equal the range of 
boundless bliss that is so wide spread for hu- 
manity. 

Ask me not to leave my love in words. I 
send it in the chariot of the soul. Are these 
not starry moments that light us heavenward ? 
Evening dews but soften the grosser nature. As 
flowers at night close in their sweetness from the 



107 

gazing eye, so in these hours of communion all 
our truth, love and affection close in beauty and 
fragrance. But we will open when the dawn of 
affection comes ; when the morning comes, and 
gazing eyes come forth to look, our souls shall 
then unfold their leaves, and take the golden 
beams of the morning. 

The thought that finds not expression is 
mighty. When the broad wings of language 
fail to bear our thoughts from soul to soul, then 
are they towering mountain thoughts that reach 
to the azure celestial. 

There is communion far, far beyond these 
words, and in that w T e must meet for our natures 
to affinitize and mingle ; and there are star- 
crown thoughts that come from the world of 
emotion. These are the stars that I would 
crown thee with. 

Happiness tracks out the path of love and 
virtue ; bliss ecstatic follows in the train, and 
immortality crowns us. 

Our love has just begun. Our happiness is a 
new-born thing. It will increase in grandeur as 



108 

the soul can grow to take it in. The roses of 
time are all immortal ; they bloom in a garden 
eternal. We may pluck them to-day, and to- 
morrow they are bright and fragrant. There 
are roses now, there are roses to come, no dearth 
of blossom, no barren foliage. Hast thou 
planted, O time immortal % Let us wear the 
garland to-day, and new buds will open for to- 
morrow. The ever-present kingdom of bliss is 
thine and mine this hour. No local glory shines 
afar ; but within and without, and through cre- 
ation, is heaven's bliss spread, like the bright 
shining constellations that star your canopy. 
The glory of to-day is measured to the soul ; we 
will grow to meet the rays of the future. 



SECTION XXIII. 

My thoughts are beyond expression, when 
thinking of the great, the immortal existence 
that is ours ; when thinking of the glorious 



109 

hereafter; when thinking of the mortal exis- 
tence and the intercepting steps of angels that 
are treading along the mazy path of life. They 
stand on the plain of perplexity, they are ever 
hovering in the valley of doubt and despair, and 
they fill up every little portion of life, for every 
soul in spirit has its angel. I have mine. O, 
where can the spirit find words to speak of the 
boundless, flowing love of Deity, who bears us 
on such ripples of affection, and sends out his tide 
of clear, flowing love, to wave us forever heaven- 
ward and homeward. He has given us fond 
hearts to love him with ; and let us love him 
now. He cannot manifest his power outside of 
matter and mind, and through them we must 
reach our God. My spirit is at home in affec- 
tion; in her courts I long have dwelt, and 
within them I will tarry while there is a heart 
that will pulsate back to mine, while there is 
an echoing soul that will respond to all my emo- 
tions, I will still love, hope on, winding in that 
endless stream, and in my flow of joy, stop 

awhile to send forth fountains of bliss. 1 will 
10 



110 

keep the stream so full, that the waters will 
laugh, dance and sparkle as they flow along ; 
make soft eddies of love dance with the sun- 
beams, and borrow the summer breeze to ride 
with ecstatic bliss to the soul I love. O, keep 
forever the fountain of affection flowing. It is 
the fount whereon God smiles the most. It is 
the fountain where water-gems dance the bright- 
est. It is the fountain in which to bathe the soul 
in heavenly baptism, in holy consecration to the 
white-robed seraphs that stand around the throne 
of love. 

O, there are joys that the spirit of man can 
purchase, transcending the glory of bright arch- 
angels. There are rays enough to keep his soul 
all luminous ; enough to break the shadows of 
the life-picture. O, keep the spirit forever ab- 
sorbent to the revolving glory. Keep the spirit 
in sweetest adaptation to the moment and the 
hour. Be forever mantled for emergency. Life, 
bright life, is our glowing theme, and all crea- 
tion's woes are ours to soften. 

My spirit pauses not for love, not for affec- 



Ill 

tion ; but the arches of this temple, [the medi- 
um,] are scarcely towering enough to-night, to 
echo my thoughts to you. The dome light is 
veiled, and I must keep my spirit near the en- 
trance without ascent, and give you my thoughts 
only along the foundation of my established love 
and affection, with the dome rays that I some- 
times catch, and bring to you. I must take the 
channel as it is, and if the stream runs languid- 
ly sometimes, and the waters are resting after 
some emotion, then Flora will speak more in 
calmness, will send you thoughts more in accord- 
ance with the flow of the stream she sails on. 
And if echoes are secondary to my sometimes 
arching love, know and feel that it is thy guar- 
dian who stands by the golden gateway of the 
future ; who stands studding with bright stars 
the clouds of sorrow that would come near thee; 
who bounds in progressive ratio at each advance 
of thy spirit ; whose soul is echoing sad when 
thine is sorrowful ; whose spirit is echoing glad 
when thine is joyful. I bow to the Father of 
love, and pray for thee, for it is thy guardian 



112 

who is commissioned of God to bear thee the 
ripened fruit of life. 

Only circumstances divide our bliss ; the little 
earth-path yet untrod by thee, is all that keeps 
thy spirit from my home. We will keep the 
avenue ornamented and bowered with rising glo- 
ries. We will make it, not a mighty thorough- 
fare, where congregate the throng, but one in 
which the appreciative walk; for it is love's 
own avenue, and affection's legitimate pathway. 
Here I can come and talk to you. Here we can 
meet in moon-beam bliss ; and when we meet 
etherialized in a brighter sphere, we will not 
forget the pathway in which we have so often 
met and communed. 



113 



SECTION XXIY. 

Mrs. Adams being under spirit influence, said : Where have 
you taken me ? The place is very large. All the spirits that have 
known you during your progression are here. Here are the little 
orphan buds ; De Sota, the powerful speaking man ; your father 
and your mother ; your sisters, and little son. Mary Adams, her 
father and her mother ; Bill and Jim ; Lightfoot and his mother, 
and many dark ones that I don't know ; and Flora so brightly stand- 
ing above them all. 

How pleasant ! The picture is beautiful ! Yet what a mixture ; 
some bright, some dark. They will all speak to you in groups to- 
night. 

Flora spoke : 

Thine arms of love are outspread for all the 
guests of this hour ; but who shall come first 
rushing to thy embrace % I have called thee up- 
ward on mercy's steps, and now that our spirits 
have grown bright and joyous together, this little 
group appointed me the messenger bird to tell thee 
that they will share these moments with me and 

you. If my claim seems superior on thy atten- 

10* 



114 

tion, regard me only as sent on the smiles of all 
the surrounding forms. They led me smilingly 
to thee, with prior claims, and tell me to rest in 
thy arms forever. With modest grace I drew 
me back from the parents that nurtured thee in 
life, but they wave me on to thee. Press thy 
blooming flower closer to thy bosom, for in that 
pressure the fragrance comes forth. Firmly 
grasp the jewel of thy spirit, for in that embrace 
thy spirit gathers my soul by particles. 

My spirit Father and Mother now spoke. 

We are thy parents: thy soul still feels natural 
yearnings, does it not % This is a meeting of 
congratulation. If the past existence was not 
all bright, in the present we have new-found 
rays that will shine on the future, and in those 
glimmerings we will try and keep with you, and 
keep our spiritual progression in pace with 
yours. We feel that we have loitered, and by 
sluggard movements have kept your spirit down 
in the past. But we are not meeting in old re- 



115 

cognition, we have come for the present hour : 
with brief words, but endless hopes for the 
golden future that is springing for you, and us, 
and all. We could not speak thus did not that 
guardian angel stand by, for it is the atmosphere 
of her holy love that ignites our spirits to a per- 
ennial glow. 

Child of our souls, we say not adieu, even 
though the moment fades away, and the voice 
is hushed, still the soul speaks forever on, on, on 
forever. 

My little spirit son now spoke : 

My father, see how your guardian smiles on 
me as I come. She formed this circle. Does it 
make you happy % If she will keep smiling I 
can talk. I love my father, and my mother too, 
and my little brothers. They tell me some day 
you will all come and be with me. I should like 
to see earth. Is it very pleasant \ I like to hear 
you talk about my little brothers. Do you know 
our two little Orphan Buds? They are here. 



116 

Were they earth-angels ? They will come and 
talk to you. Flora says, do n't say good bye, so 
I cannot. 

Little Orphan Buds spoke.* 

We are never cold now, nor hungry either, 
and if we have n't found our father and mother, 
God will take care of us. Flora calls us her 
two wings, for she says we make her thoughts 
fly to brighter worlds, and if we make worlds 
for her, we are most good, aint we % When we 
get older we '11 know how to talk better, and we 
can be guardians to somebody, too. Flora says 
if we want a guardian, we must guard. When 
we are summer flowers, you shall see how sweet 
we have grown. You do n't have to stay in the 
dark, all alone, do you ? We wa'n't alone when 
we froze to death, because God sent Flora to be 
with us. Did God send Flora to you ? You 
like her most as good as God, don t you ? Can 
you love anybody next to God, you have a mind 
to % We love Flora. 

* See " Progressive Life of Spirits," page 24. 



117 



Mary Adams * next came, and spoke as follows : 

Shall the heart of gratitude forget the finger 
that pointed it to heaven I No, no. Shall the 
bounding, bubbling brook forget the mossy bank 
that smiles on its coursing ? No, never, never. 
When my hours of faith were dark, you lent an 
anchor to my shattered, shipwrecked soul. You 
stood on the shores of love and sent me a tiny 
bark to bear me there. My spirit drooped like 
a fading flower, it was dying on the winter 
breeze, you brought a summer zephyr that 
warmed my blasted life, and tinted my seared 
and barren hopes with a deep, deep shaded ever- 
green of summer light, I am happy now. I 
am purer now. The impetus of angels' wings 
urges me forward and onward. I seem to rise 
to highest joys on the holy breath of angels — 
gathering the sands of time and counting the 
moments I have been led to bliss. 

Should dangers ever thicken around you, my 

* See " Rivulet from the Ocean of Truth," for an account of 
this spirit's former state and progression. 



118 

spirit will not be tardy in its flight to come 
to your aid. Although a brighter, purer 
star guards you, still my beams shall lend their 
rays, and I will revolve around your soul as a 
secondary planet of love. Take now the offer- 
ing of my heart, and embalm your soul, if em- 
balmed it can be, w r ith the love that fills mine. 

This spirit now joined her angel-mother, whom she had reached 
in her progressive course, and her spirit-father, who, since her pro- 
gression began, she had led from darkness ; and continued : 

Three buds of gratitude come now bursting 
to you — father, mother, and a once lost child, 
lost in the thorny path of sin. As they open 
to-night to you, take their sweetness into your 
soul and keep it. But for these new-found paths 
of spirit-intercourse, our spirits might now be 
wandering in sorrow. We might be drinking 
bitter waters now. But we are drinking the 
nectar of holy bliss, bounded hitherward by this 
hand of benevolence. What a trio of bliss our 
souls must present as we bring to you our triple 
gratitude. 



119 

Why does the spirit pause, and rove about the 
great vestibule of the soul, searching for words 
when the fount of gratitude is playing ? But if 
my spirit seems minor in its expressions ; if it 
does not come to the standard of grateful feel- 
ing, O, bear the remnant of my bounding thank- 
fulness on your drooping wings of love, that 
come to shelter me and mine this moment. And 
as you rise to your Father, God, in adoration, 
may your wings go quivering in the breezy emo- 
tion, doubly laden with the diamonds of grati- 
tude which shall drop as your spirit mounts, and 
pave the path of some lonely traveller. And 
may the brilliancy of the jewel caught, when so 
near to our God, brighten the path of some spir- 
it homeward, as the drops of tender mercy from 
his guardian love floated my spirit to the ocean 
whereon I now sail. 

O, could I but paint your future glory, could 
I but tint the life picture with half the shining 
gems etherial that I see floating aloft for your 
soul ! Take my heart's music, which is grati- 
tude; take the melody of my soul, which is 



120 



thankfulness, as the united expression of the 
trio band. 

De Soto came and said : 

I have met you in welling eloquence. Per- 
haps I have met you when the soul spoke in 
thunder tones, and the spirit darted out in light- 
ning flashes. You have seen my spirit when 
mind and matter dashed heedlessly on — when 
wave followed wave in angry pursuit, dancing 
with the storm wind, and defying danger. But 
I will meet you now in a calm. We will place 
our spirits in the summer breeze, like harps 
iEolian, and sweet notes of harmony shall be 
wafted to, and wave across the soul. Let us 
cradle our spirits on life's undulating tide ; light 
the soul with the gentle moonbeam ; wreath 
brows with roses, and strew gems upon the mo- 
ments of existence. 

This is my spirit in calm. Like flowers in the 
night hours, all bound and silent, receiving the 
kisses of the dews of heaven. As they fall, so 
let the spirit of man come twine its tendrils, and 



121 

curtained from the glare of day, wait for the 
dews of gentle, silent love to fall thereon. 

I only come to complete the band, and to add 
to the many echoes that come up to you from 
the throng of spiritual life to-night, 

Lightfoot came and said : 

No longer Lightfoot, but Lightheart ; with a 
soul almost golden, an anchor so broad and 
mighty that I can share it with millions yet to 
come. We can all repose on the anchor. We 
can mount it, but we cannot move it. We can- 
not bring it to the traveller on his toilsome path, 
but we can place beacons on it to guide him up- 
ward. 

Let your soul grow sacred with the moment. 
'T is befitting that you pause and look on the 
circle that surrounds you, composed of those who 
have led you, and whom you have led. 

If this is not a holy time, I never found hap- 
piness. Are the gates of heaven then so near, or 
is this a picture of the paradise of which I have 

so often heard % Pause and think. You cannot 
u 



122 

go down, for there are too many souls beneath 
you, bearing you up. Does humanity know 
that it is what it calls dark demon life that keeps 
the higher mass floating ? Does it know that it 
ascends by stepping on lower rounds % No soul 
can ever fall back, for we are so closed together 
in life, so grasping on to neighboring souls. You 
must move onward, for in doing so some brother 
beneath you moves on in like ratio. Do not re- 
main standing, for it stays the tide of progres- 
sion back, far back from where you stand. 
No more now : now Lightheart goes. 

Bill came and said : 

Goes agin my natur not to be accommodating 
to that bright creature up there. As hard as I 
be, I cannot stand that. I didn't come to ex- 
press opinions. I come to accommodate that 
bright angel. I feel two or three shades softer. 
How beautiful she is. Gorry, there aint nuthen 
in heaven beats that, I know. Lord, I have 
been where it was so dark that midnight has 
been a star to it. 



123 



Flora continued : 



You have had the spring hopes and the au- 
tumn's sighs. They are gathered around for 
good. Let your soul now look on the retrospec- 
tion, and see the throng that you have gathered. 
We need many existences. We have the world 
of the past and the present ; and when our souls 
are entwined together, then we shall catch glanc- 
es of futurity, and light up the picture of the 
past. O, let us be faithful to every incident of 
life. This great life is but one existence. The 
curtain of the tomb is but a little thing. Spir- 
its and mortals are working together ; the love 
of angels is twining around the hearts of mor- 
tals, where the bliss of heaven shall lie indwell- 
ing, for all, all are, and shall be alike, God's 
recipients. 



124 



SECTION XXV, 

Are all the loved ones in your household hap- 
py now % Does your spirit throw its sunshine 
around each soul to illumine it heavenward? 
There is the central point where thy influence 
begins ; where it ends, time answereth not ; for 
there are no boundaries to the emanations of the 
spirit. Recognize me more in thought. Try 
and feel me thine own loved guest in thoughts 
that come sparkling within the spirit. I am 
waiting when I can meet thee in thine own com- 
munion ; waiting when thy spirit will catch the 
cadence of my soul ; waiting when thy spirit 
thoughts flow next to mine, without an interme- 
diate wave ; waiting when thy spirit will gently, 
gently flow into mine own. 

The finest emotions of the spirit have no ut- 
terance; the sweetest interchange of thought 
are the silent inflowings from soul to soul. 

Now does thy spirit feel how near I come 1 



125 



Our spirits now embrace. Were it not for the 
atmosphere of love that surrounds you, how 
could I come so near and dear? Your spirit 
opens and spreads the arms of welcome, and I 
swiftly bound to thy embrace. 

What I have given thee from my spirit, are 
only little tints; the blessed reserve is yet to 
come. And O, we will have such rosy hours ; 
we will have such dewy thoughts; they will 
fall like pearls, uniting our spirits. We will 
wander in such azure bliss ; we will garland our 
spirits with such love-blossoms, that when we 
meet, we can only meet in sweetness and beauty. 
And we will travel o'er the fields of thought to- 
gether in dual joy; we will wind our course 
along, and leave behind a stream of beauty, and 
a fount of bliss. Our joys shall all be twin- 
born beauties ; thy happiness will rest on mine. 
My bliss will be thy soul's bright duplicate. Do 
you not now feel my love ; how deep it lies, how 
broad the stream I flow to thee ? O, on the 
waters of my flowing love, come, come thou 

home. God bids me send this gentle stream to 

11* 



126 

float thy soul to heaven ; he created me for thee, 
a fountain bright and clear, and thus your spirit 
tastes his love and glory. 

Fear not, dear one, for I am tangible. I am 
not a thing of fancy made, of fabricated angel- 
love, but a true, existing principle, a soul in 
unison with thine, sending heavenly breezes to 
thy life, to bear me back thy joys, thy woes, so 
that all thy sorrows and thy bliss can be by me 
nestled so closely here, for I cradle thy spirit in 
the motion of my love, where I will lull thy 
spirit in a soft repose. 

Prayer. 

O, thou Guardian of all created love, who 
hast rippled my spirit next to this wave of life ; 
keep thou all my soul's emotions, and, from thy 
great throbbing heart-life, throw out thy mighty 
spirit of love, and let us, thy children, be as 
waves of life that bear the current bright 
through this great, this mighty system of exis- 
tence ; and as it ripples through our souls, we 



127 

will send the current back to thee untainted. O, 
keep thou me a wave of healthy, moving beau- 
ty, to bear thy w r arm, thy softening love down to 
creation's woes ; to w r aft to the shadows the dew- 
drops of light ; to tint the midnight with a beam 
of day, and to sing to thee, thou central source 
of all creation's love and wisdom, some mellow 
cadence. 



I hope your earth-life w 7 ill be long enough to 
leave many flowers blooming ; long enough, I 
trust, to leave many a wilderness in blossom ; to 
leave many once barren spirits engrafted with 
love, so that when thy spirit comes home, there 
w 7 ill be towering monuments of affection erected 
in souls and hearts in memory of thee. Yes, in 
memory of thee let joy be gilded ; let sorrow 
be star-wreathed ; let happiness be blossom- 
crowned. May your life be long enough for the 
soul to do all its labors and its work, so that the 
spirit at its birth will not repine, or reflect, or 
exclaim — O, that I had done my work. 

I will smile on thy labor ; I will ever prompt 



128 

thee to plant the seeds of joy and happiness, 
and then together we will gather the harvest of 
bliss. 

Now the magnetism of thy spirit has drawn 
me so closely unto thee, let doubts die out and 
fade away in the arms of faith, as I come cling- 
ing around thee with my love. Such little spots 
of paradise are these where'er we meet ; such 
fragments of Eden bliss, my language has flown 
away in love's embrace, and words have sunk 
beneath my soul. 

Your guardian is the fountain from which 
God's love flows for thee. Be true ; be true to 
the inner life. Follow your impressions ; listen 
to the inward ripple. Your visions give you a 
world of thought ; they carry you to the world 
ideal, where the finer emotions dwell. They are 
in themselves little worlds of beauty. 

The nature of your spirit is mighty and tow- 
ering ; circumstances have kept the branches 
drooping. 

My hand is always on thy heart, so never let 



129 

that heart be sad. My love, my affection does 
not go with my receding grasp ; no, no. 



SECTION XXVI, 



Is it not pleasant to know that thy loved one 
is always near thee. Thus far have we traversed 
the field of thought, and thy spirit has no wish 
to return to the paths where it was wandering 
when I found thee. Canst thou measure the 
range of the spirit % Canst thou find the bor- 
ders of the soul's field of exploration 1 Dost thou 
feel the limitless expanse where thy spirit dwells? 
I come gently treading in thy garden of affec- 
tion. I walk in the avenues of thy soul's love. 
I breathe my echoings in thy sympathy ; and ere 
long I will stand in the temple of thy wisdom, 
laying my gifts at the altar of sweet affection, 
and claiming from thee that thou art mine as I 
am thine. 



130 



How the sweet prospect cheers the soul as we 
number the multiplied beams of morning glory 
that are rising o'er creation's vast expanse, and 
bearing the soul home in heavenly halos. Rise 
o'er our land bright sun, of glory, rise ; chase the 
shadows of night with thy sparkling rays, and 
link sorrow with hope. Whisper to sadness that 
there is a morning crown that will fade no more. 
Tell every child of earth that loving ones come 
nigh ; carry pinions to their weary souls ; bid 
them fly to the bliss that flows in the land of 
shadows. Never let thy soul grow weary; never 
let thy feet cease to tread the pathway of duty. 
Labor for thy Father in heaven, and the king- 
dom of heaven shall be thine on earth. Cast 
all thy treasures into his kingdom, and jewels 
will be waiting when he calls for thee. Blessed 
are the pure in heart for they shall see God. 

When the roses of life do grow dim and decay, 
When the flowerets of time are all fading away, 
When the night of the spirit has found no bright day, 
I am thine, I am thine. 



131 

When the loved tones and voices are hushed in the grave, 
And the spirit is sinking 'neath sorrow's dark wave, 
0, look up, for thy loved one a beacon will wave. 
I am thine, I am thine. 

When the spirit would roam from its sweet bower of love, 
Led away by the song of some bright-tinted dove, 
To mansions of beauty — to temples above, 
I am thine, still am thine. 

When the gathering curtain of death-night comes on, 
When thy spirit is passing from night unto morn, 
When the quick-moving pulse and the heart throb is gone, 
I am thine, still am thine. 

I am thine in the birth of this heavenly land, 
I am thine when we join the bright archangel band, 
When thy spirit by heaven's pure breezes are fanned, 
I am thine, still am thine. 

These thoughts to you are my soul's daguerre- 
otype. Take the likeness and love it well. 
Gaze on it when my noon-beam love comes 
shining through affection's bower, and give me 
thy upturned gaze of recognition. 

The soul is worthy of that which flows to it. 



132 

If the spirit is made for eternity, it is worthy to 
receive all the truths that eternity gives. It is 
beautiful to have truths that we can feed on, 
thoughts that we cannot consume in the moment. 
Truth is towering and mighty, so mighty that the 
spirit of man can never reach its summit. 

When resting in thy arms, 
My soul feels all the charms 

Of joy, of hope and love ; 
And in my happy bower, 
I mark the gem-like hour, 

That took me to my dove. 

While resting near thy heart, 
My spirit feels a part 

Of thine own bliss ; 
And in my happy bower, 
I '11 mark the gem-like hour, 

That brought my soul to this. 



133 



SECTION XXVII. 

Down the avenue of love my spirit comes 
floating to-night. Hearest thou not the mur- 
muring rill of joy within my soul, transcending 
the fountain of bliss of souls enraptured % My 
joy is deeper than they who sit 'neath dia- 
dems of glory. My life is filled with noon-day 
rays. My spirit is all redolent with bliss of im- 
mortality. How best can I come to tell you of my 
rapt emotions, and of the heart's satiate of bliss ; 
a bliss from an exhaustless stream ; that stream 
of life divine, that runs through all things ; that 
ne'er would leave a soul in death, but wind with 
a heavenly and a native grace through every soul 
and every heart in the universe. O, love, sweet 
love, I would have thee feel the enchantment of 
this hour ; feel that we have met where mortal 
love holds us in its charms ; feel that the dew 
drops of heaven will fall within our souls, leav- 
ing the tinge of a finer life, of a brighter and 

12 



134 

more real existence, where the spirit of man may 
soar even though in the carnal house of clay ; 
feel the beauties of this heavenly hour; and 
sweeter bliss shall flood your soul than has yet 
meandered through it ; softer melodies ripple in 
thee, and thy soul finding its quickening in the 
finer calls of thy etherial nature, assert its claims ; 
for now, even now, thy spiritual body is rising, 
and the longing, quivering aspirations that often 
flutter within thee are but the legitimate callings 
of thy spiritual body, asking for a foretaste of 
the bliss that remaineth for man. Did no burst- 
ing, quivering emotions e'er shake these languid 
hearts, then might the spirit justly question im- 
mortality ; but it is the great, moving, flowing, 
immortal tide, that sweeps and floats against the 
restless present, dashing it into the fast flowing 
current of thy existence, that tells of the mor- 
row's beams chasing the shadows of to-night 
away. 

O, man, and immortality ; mind, matter, and 
life undying! Who can soar and grasp the 
thought so infinite that tells us we shall live and 






135 

love forever % It is an ocean thought on which 
the soul can float to heaven. There are no ship- 
wrecks on these waters ; no soul will e'er be lost. 
This ocean of love, so vast and so mighty, so 
broad that every soul in the universe can sail 
thereon, is but a wave from out Divinity's soul 
one wave from his unfathomable love. 

There are flowers within the soul that God 
has planted, and he is waiting to catch their fra- 
grance. Children of immortality, wouldst thou 
not bear him flowers ; wilt thou not give him 
perfume of the blossoms, for he is waiting for 
the fragrance of thy spirit. He sends thee heav- 
enly breezes of angels' love ; and they will bear 
back to him the perfume of thy affection. He 
sends thee dews of angels' guardianship, and 
they will soften all thy woes. He sends thee 
sunbeams of seraphic light, and on those rays 
that warm thy soul wilt thou not send some glo- 
ry back ? Around, within, and all about thee 
dwells thy father, God. His love is waiting on 
the face of creation in flowers for thee. In azure 
glory he paints the starry hosts, and wide o'er- 



136 

spreads the firmament with shining orbs, and 
with attendant love and smiling glory he gives 
the blazing beams of that great and powerful 
luminary. 

Know, child of mortality, where'er thou art, 
thou art never from thy God. Creation lies up- 
on his heart ; he holds the universe within his 
arms, for his tender mercies are over all his 
works. 

Soul of sadness* grow to the recognition of 
thy ever present Father ; thou shalt never find 
him afar from thee, for his is a power omnipo- 
tent, ever-present, sustaining thy vital energies. 
Thou art moving in obeisance to his high com- 
mands. 

O, beauteous thought is this, that there is not 
a soul that's nearest God. The outcast, the 
lowly, the down-trodden and the poor, all live 
within his measureless provision. All, all are 
nestling beneath one parent's protecting wing. 
Great family of life, offspring of Deity, let us 
closer nestle in each other's arms. Nearer and 
more tenderly draw us to our brothers' and our 



V 



137 

sisters' sighs; for the mortal life-link holds, and 
we cannot fly away from sorrow's asserted claims. 
With heart joined unto heart, and sympathy 
linked with love, and affection twining around 
the brow, let us grasp the anchor of hope, and 
new-create our souls to love the one great family 
of the universe of our Father. 



SECTION XXVIII. 

The guardian of a very congenial friend addressed me as fol- 
lows: 

Spirit, thou too art wandering heavenward 
through ranks of angels. The aspirations of thy 
soul flow up to heaven with one whose life I 
guard, and whose wandering, and whose mean- 
dering footsteps I firmly plant in the undying 
path of eternal progression. I have long waited 
to pour my spirit-thoughts into thine own, to 
show thee we love to come in groups and join 
our thoughts together, to whisper to thee in 






138 

united voices, that heaven's arches echo in tri- 
umphant glories, higher, brighter far, than man 
has ere conceived ; for time has not pictured his 
brightest landscapes yet ; the lineaments of love 
are yet unsketched on the heart of man ; thoughts 
of diviner wisdom are yet to be engraven on the 
souls of creation ; more etherial waves will ye*t 
flow round their souls than man's inadequate 
powers have ere conceived. 

O, the crown that time is gemming for the 
nations. Reiterate, repeat, and tell the glory 
around the world, and if e'er the crown grows 
dim, God's wisdom will re-gem, his rays re-gild 
the coronet. O, spirit of Progression, let thy 
glory ring out ! let the horizon of thy spirit- 
throes be bounded with sorrow, so that thou 
mayest flow with a magnitude of sympathy to 
meet the demands that are calling to thee from 
life's horizon. Leave no glory undefined, but 
walk within and walk without the golden por- 
tals and azure bright that lead to yonder bliss, 
where sits a spirit so calmly waiting, and mant- 
ling thy life with love and charity. Her inner 

12* 



139 

name is " Love." She dwells am;d Affection's 
courts ; She crowns the brow of sorrow ; She 
dews the fading flower. She will keep the fra- 
grance of thy bliss in one harmonious, harp-like 
mould ; she will tune thy quivering notes of joy, 
and sweetly chime them with her own. Her 
name, her life, her soul, is Love. How sweetly 
must thy spirit rest, beneath a balmy breeze like 
this. 



SECTION XXIX, 



Now let me bathe my soul in some star-lit sea, 
and catch some glowing waves of flowing joy, to 
new-baptize your faith and love, and to help you 
walk through the mazy, misty path of life ; to 
w T alk with trust and hope while forms of love 
are floating around you. 

God's smiling angels are multiplying o'er the 
firmament of his glory, gazing on the children 
of earth like stars at night. 



140 

What theme of melody shall my spirit bring 
to thee to gem the mountain of thy journey o'er? 
What soft and soothing strain shall I put forth 
to re-invite thee to this land of love ? What 
golden banner shall I outspread to wave and 
float across thy pathway 1 

But I will come, so gently come, and softly 
kiss the faith that rises from thy soul; and I will 
bear thy young Hope in my arms ; I will nur- 
ture it in my fond embrace, and when thy spirit 
wants a gentle monitor within, to tell thee that 
the path is thorny where thou wouldst tread in 
blindness, my hovering heart of love will be that 
monitor to keep thee safe. 

O, still prolong and keep the theme of beauty 
ringing clear and loud, that angels love the chil- 
dren of earth. If shadows thicken around thy 
pathway, and sorrow grows to mountain magni- 
tude, I will not leave thy soul alone. 

There are green meadows in the future land ; 
there are deep mossy banks ; there are soft me- 
andering streams ; there are lilies blooming white 
and fair ; there are arches radiant with blooming 



141 

roses ; there is deep toned music chiming ; there 
are stars of diamond beauty flashing ; there are 
harps of coral gems ; there are fountains dancing 
like fairies bright on flowers ; there are birds of 
paradisal plumage ; there are rainbow tints of 
glory bursting everywhere, in the future of every 
soul's existence. 

Sorrow is but the shadow of the wing of hap- 
piness. Sunshine and shadow lie together. 

Let every one in the earth-life repose and rest 
within the thought, that peace and harmony flow 
through creation, and every spirit must find its 
legitimate part of bliss. 



SECTION XXX 



I hold a bright coronet above your brow. 
There are sparkling gems therein, and the points 
glitter with golden stars. The diadem is almost 
descended upon your brow. The weight of beau- 



142 

ty is so mighty that I lower it gently, gently 
down, and fill up the space with flowers. 

"When the crown falls on your head, my spirit 
will fall with brighter and more radiant beauty. 
I have been crowning you with flowers. In this 
coronet there are gems and sparkling stars, and 
in each star a world of beauty and light ; each 
ray is a volume, each gem will tell to thee king- 
doms of affection. 

O, how thy spirit will be crowned ! I will 
try to fill every faculty, that the soul may come 
home in symmetry. O, how brilliant is our path- 
way yet to be! We shall bound, we shall 
rove, we shall traverse the kingdoms of the 
beautiful. We shall tarry on the fragrance 
of the rose, and repose beneath its tiny leaves, 
for love and beauty go hand in hand. Onward 
has been our pathway together ; and forever on- 
ward is the motto of the spirit. Shall we tarry, 
loved one? 

When I first came to guard thee, thou didst 
not know my spirit well. I felt accordant tones 
rise from thy inner soul to mine. I felt a warm 



143 

and throbbing heart beat to the pulses of my 
own. 

* My language to the world may oftimes have 
seemed too flowery. If I woo thy spirit to truth 
with flowers, is it not better than clouds and 
weapons % If I draw thee to God's unchanging 
guidance and unchanging truth with a garland, 
is it not as well as an iron chain whose links are 
heavy and coarse] If I join thy spirit to eter- 
nity's beauties, I must link it with blossoms 
bright and dewy, for my nature is affection and 
love. Other spirits can come better on the roar- 
ing, dashing, mighty current of thought ; but I 
choose the melting cadence, and the sweet, soft 
tone, and echoing breeze of love to invite thy 
spirit upward and onward. 

Then look on the kingdom of bliss as sur- 
rounding thee everywhere in all conditions, and 
every incident of thy existence a little wave that 
bears thee nearer and nearer home ; even the 
contra motion of the tide strengthens thy faith. 
The wintry blasts bear healing in their breezes. 
What seem to thee opposing waves, are only 



144 



great tidal waters bearing thee to the shores of 
time and eternity. There can be no opposition 
to God's immutable and unchanging laws. His 
great and mighty tide flows o'er creation, tran- 
scending the power of man to stem the 
influx. The groans and sighs are only mighty 
rolling waves that flow to God's refining shores. 
They beat against some finer current, and with 
it flow into that mighty stream of bliss, made 
up of dark and glittering waves; for stars gleam 
out from midnight, and the chain of happiness 
is in one eternal grade, the links of which are 
human souls. 

Then let us traverse wide creation o'er in 
thought, finding truth and beauty growing side 
by side. Blossoms and thorns alike have beauty. 
Looking on creation as a vast gradation of life 
and bliss, we shall never fail to find the king- 
dom of which Christ hath spoken, swelling high 
within us. 



145 



SECTION XXXI. 

" Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall 
see God." 

The inquiring heart goes out and speaks : 
" Where shall I find my God % " The pure 
in heart will meet him in the gentle stream 
and within the tiny flower. Deity wears no 
mystic veil to the soul, to the heart of purity ; 
for on creation's face they read the lineaments of 
his parental love. The pure in heart flow unto 
him, each stream of thought is a crystal brook 
that sparkles its spirit home to Deity. The pure 
in heart find no shadows floating between them 
and God. Through love and faith they look, 
and with eyes of peace behold the universe, a 
circling glory of enchantive life, twining to the 
great central Spirit, God. Through flowery 
paths the pure in spirit walk, not by the wayside 
hedge; they bound along the wide and beaute- 
ous avenues of love, linking their life and 
thoughts with myriad souls. The pure in heart 

13 



146 

see bright divinities of beaming love shining 
through humanity ; they gaze on brightness 
through the love of the spirit within the mortal. 
They do not sit on the bank of despair, where 
the deep and angry waters of sin and error are 
flowing on, but they sit them down by the cool- 
ing, flowing stream of happiness, and on its 
wavelets send their sparkling trust to the bosom 
of their Father, God. Blessed are the pure, for 
they shall see him. Each moment of their 
life bears unto them the impress of their Fath- 
er's face ; and on the mighty works his hand 
hath made, they see the image of their God. 
How blest are they that ride on those plume- 
like, bounding, crystal thoughts, that send their 
spirits out in dewy sparkles to be attracted to 
some sapphire sea of bliss, where bright and 
sparkling jewels dash 'round the shores, and dia- 
monds point the way to bliss, and emerald islands 
dance in ether light, and jewelled wings spread 
out from soft angelic forms, and mystic music 
floats along the breeze. This is the port ; this 
is the port to which the hearts of purity sail to 



147 

see their God. Then launch thy spirit nobly 
forth, and on the quivering aspirations of thy 
immortal soul, send its beauty dancing on 
flowers of bliss immortal. Warbling melody 
shall greet the soul. The sweet enchantress 
shall entrance the vision, and the soul of pure 
desire shall gaze through countless vistas of eter- 
nal space, on the image of its God. 

Each pure desire is a wing on which the spir- 
it mounts. Every holy aspiration is a chariot 
inviting the soul to fly onward. Each loving 
thought is a wave of progression, and every 
longing, throbbing emotion a golden arrow dart- 
ing the spirit on and on through space infinite, 
eternal, and sublime. So blessed are the pure 
for they shall see God ; no atom of creation shall 
be a thing too small for them to gaze upon and 
behold him. In each shall be seen a kingdom of 
his glory ; a bright enchanting power that leads 
home through wisdom's ways to their Father, 
God. Each day of life, and each care shall bear 
the shadow of his spirit. 

While o'er the silvery sea of purity we sail, 



148 



the lilies of life shall adorn our way. As we 
pass along, the waving branches above shall du- 
plicate their dewy leaves by being mirrored on 
the waters below, as the future, the golden fu- 
ture, paints its form upon the stream of the past. 
So to purity let us wed our souls, that we may 
through eternity gaze upon our God. 

O, how I love this spirit life, God's life, thy 
life, my glorious life ; this flowery-bursting, 
rosy morn of life ; this rolling, moving, angel 
tide of life ! O, gushing fountain that didst fill 
me with animation, call back thy waves of mo- 
tion unto thyself. Let animated nature roll 
back to thee all eloquent with thanksgiving. 
Bright morning stars, sing for joy. Glorious 
noon-day, chant thy anthem. Deepening twi- 
light with moon-beams in thy arms, come, sing 
a melody to Deity. O, creation, thou art a migh- 
ty orchestra, in which each little ripple is a 
sweetly sounding note to the Creator of all. 
" Bless, O, my soul, the living God." O, trans- 
cendent, heavenly life, flowing from and unto 
God. Let dulcet notes peal from my spirit now, 



149 

while I with quivering breath tune my lyre to 
sing thy praise. According as my spirit knows 
will I sing, and my song shall not be brief. O, 
thou from whom all finite love does flow, let 
brighter angels w T ing around my soul, and star 
my spirit to Elysian lands, where glory beams 
resplendent. 

O, who w r ould ask to live not ? What soul 
should sigh to pass from earth, for the pealing 
anthem goes on, and the voices of creation sing, 
" we live /" " we live !" 

Mortals chant the strain ; angels respond ; 
archangels reverberate, and seraphs echo the loud 
amen. 

No utterance of the soul can picture, no lan- 
guage of the heart can paint, no pathos of the 
spirit can delineate the ecstacy of life forever. 

Thanks added unto thanks, gratitude and 
praise entwined with high thanksgiving, is the 
offering chorus of the soul to God. 

To live, to labor, and to love, are the spiritual 
circles of the soul. "When we have mounted 

unto love, pure, holy love, then our souls shall 

11* 



150 

be traversing the path of seraphs, and we will 
make the circle of life again, and live, and live, 
and live ; watch-words for the soul of man ; 
bright landmarks for creation — Life and Love. 

Lend me thy egotism, spirit of sadness ; gaze 
out upon the glorious heavens, and mirror the 
love in the bright sky. Plume, plume thy spir- 
it, take an advance joy, and sweeten thy weary 
life. 

When Deity and life die out, then hope will 
leave the soul, and joy follow in the sorrowing 
train. But while God and life exist, hope will 
forever be the guest of man, for it is but the glo- 
rious result of heavenly life, and life the bright 
result of God. 

O, that I could herald the world's salvation, 
joined by seraphs without number. I would 
work, and would not know a slumber till in joy, 
eternal joy, mankind had been gathered home. 

With fresh garlands of zeal, and new found 
blossoms of hope, let us with angels labor till 
we can meet every known want. The longings 
of the spirit are only wildly beating waves with- 



151 

in, that mount the spirit heavenward. Dark 
waves of life, dark waves of the ocean, can 
mount us to the skies. Struggles and conflicts 
hasten the spirit home to kiss the stars of light. 



SECTION XXXII. 

Flora spoke through Mrs. Helen Leeds as follows : 

I am gazing on thee and drinking in thy spir- 
it thoughts. How my plant hath flourished ! 
How beautifully the flower unfolds to send me 
higher spirit power, to help me build the bridge 
of faith, on which you shall cross to realms of 
bliss, where we, with spirit natures awakened, 
can read the w r ords that God hath given us, and 
gaze together on his mysterious ways. 

I am a part of thy own nature. One stem 
with a bud and flower. From the beginning we 
were buds together on the parent stem. I have 
bloomed in heaven sooner than thou, to reach 



152 

higher, and gather nurture to strengthen the 
bud of spirit soon to bloom above. 

Mrs. Leeds spoke from impression. 

There is a half circle over your head, of white 
flowers mixed with green leaves, compressed ; 
soon as they are grown a little more, they will 
be very beautiful. There are some little things 
to be cleared away in your mind, then the light 
from heaven will be to you as the sun bursting 
on flowers. Truths high and elevated will 
spring up spontaneously ; they will flow into 
your mind with rapidity. You will almost for- 
get the outer man. It is owing to your energy 
and activity of thought that you have risen 
above materialism to spirit heights of progres- 
sion. 

Flora continued : 

Together we will raise our spirit thoughts in 
prayer, asking the Giver of all blessings to bestow 
this gift on us, his children, for he doeth all 



153 



things well, and ere long we will receive the 
promise. When my spirit receives the gift from 
higher spheres, I will give it to you, that joy in 
thy spirit may abound. 

I w r ould have thee ascend the ladder of pro- 
gression by a steady step, not growing giddy by 
the height, nor the beauty that thy spirit eyes 
may behold. I would nerve thee for the ascent: 
for remember, dear one, that the natural senses 
can bear but so much, and the spirit must not 
dethrone the monarch, Reason. If the gates of 
the spirit world were thrown open to your gaze, 
the brilliancy of the spiritual sun would dazzle 
and make you blind. We can only give of these 
rays as they are adapted to the plant w r e nur- 
ture, guide and guard, that the buds may open 
fresh in fragrance to all who shall put forth their 
hands. It is pleasant to have your spirit realize 
that our affections mingle, and that I with you 
stem the current of your natural life, and that 
when your spirit embarks on the life of eternity, 
I will conduct your soul to the port of peace. 

Was thy joy perfect when you gazed on me, 



154 

when you beheld the spirit form which hovers 
around you to guide from evil, and to lead in 
the path to heaven ? You shall soon see me 
more distinctly, as soon as I can throw around 
you that influence which shall not make you wish 
to come from earth to our sphere. Soon, soon 
you shall behold me entering your thoughts with 
such a look of love that you shall know that the 
eternal spirit form has life, and even matter, too, 
to make thy bliss complete. Together we will 
wander o'er the fields of truth, culling all the 
beauteous flowers, and bearing them to earth to 
lead some wanderers to the bliss our spirits en- 
joy, for we could not be happy in bliss alone; 
selfish flowers grow not here, and as we progress 
together we will cull flowers, giving to others 
near us, and carrying them to those of lower 
spheres. 

I asked, if when I called my guardian's name, she heard me : — 
and she answered : 

The electric chord of sympathy reaches from 
thee to me in my spirit sphere, and thus I hear 



155 

your call and feel your thoughts. Now then is 
your judgment to be used. Keep me not always 
by your side, for I shall be like the foolish vir- 
gins. I must go to trim my lamp and have it 
burning. The flowers need the rain of heaven 
to keep them fresh and fragrant, and so your 
guardian spirit needs to roam in the spirit 
spheres for the grace that abounds there, to re- 
fresh and make her spirit strong in God's love. 
How wonderful are all the works of the infi- 
nite mind. Spirits come to convey to you the 
words of eternal life. The departed have been 
as silent as the tomb where the mortal body re- 
mains. But God has given us the key to open 
the secret spring of thought, and the ponderous 
doors of superstition have opened, and we have 
come with our life essence of love and truth to 
keep them back, and you have only to ask of us 
and you shall receive. The bread of life shall 
be freely given to support you on the way. The 
tomb shall be no dark passage to our clime, but 
flowers shall be strown, garlands fair shall be 
wreathed in forms exquisite, and our spirit fin- 



156 



gers shall interpret to the mind of man, the 
meaning of those forms which the garlands shall 
make around the tomb, bidding him hope and 
look beyond, for the spirits are freed, to roam, to 
bask in the glories of eternity, and to come back 
to earth and tell of their new home. 



SECTION XXXIII. 

Flora wrote, through Mrs. Bickford's hand, as follows : 

Stronger than the sunlight, purer than the 
moonlight, more gentle than the starlight, and 
softer than the twilight is my love for thee, mine 
own beloved one. How my soul goes forth to- 
night in joy to meet thee. How near we are to- 
gether. Thou art like the vine, and I the trellis, 
for do I not support thee and give thee strength ? 

The golden apples are ripening fast, and ere 
the Autumn clays are over thou shalt pluck 
them : thou shalt gather in thy fruit into the 
great storehouse of eternity. 



157 

My love to thee to-night is like the gentle 
dew unon the flower : thou scarce can feel it, for 
it presses not upon thee, but only refreshes and 
sends forth the fragrance that others may be ben- 
efitted thereby. 

Come with me to-night ; leave earthly cares 
and wander with me through etherial realms of 
bliss ; visit my bower adorned w 7 ith nature's 
richest gems ; come sit with me beneath the 
cooling boughs of thought, and let thy soul go 
forth to mine in holy converse. When the sun- 
set cometh, let us wander together on the golden 
sands of eternity's shores. O, wander with me, 
my own true mate, and together let us enjoy the 
beauties of nature and God's w r ondrous handi- 
work. 

'T is hard to come to earth to-night, my spirit 
soars like the lark, so high above all earthly 
things. I have made happy many sad hearts to- 
day. I have lightened many darkened homes 
with love's bright taper. I have placed my 
hand with affection upon misery's brow. I have 
whispered comfort to the widow's heart, and 

14 



158 

made orphans feel that they were fatherless no 
longer. 

Angel fingers have been weaving me a wreath 
of laurel that shall never fade, and I have re- 
ceived a Father's blessing for my deeds. Verily, 
great is our reward for every deed of love — we 
are paid tenfold. 

Now I come to thee, mine own, and on thy 
brow set the star of faith. It shall be of such 
surpassing lustre that it will light the most be- 
nighted soul to heaven's portals. 

Accept, then, Flora's gift ; it has been blessed 
by angels. O, how like sunny ripples on the 
sea, is my love ever dancing in thy heart, making 
it light and joyous when care comes to thee. 
Then do I softly smooth the ripples away, and 
make a perfect calm wherd once only a storm 
would have arisen. 

We have sailed together through life's rapids, 
now in calmer water we peacefully glide adown 
the celestial stream. Fear not, I will guide thee. 
I will weave a breast-plate for thee, and stud it 
over with gems of love and wisdom, and it shall 



159 

make thee strong ; the jewels shall attract the 
million, first by their wondrous beauty, then by 
their great value. 

O, let me twine my spirit arms around thy 
heart this night and take thee home. I am as 
impatient as a young bird first learning to fly ; 
my heart is so glad that it can scarce contain 
such fullness of joy. 

I have filled thy life fountain with pure streams 
of gladness, and now I have enough for thou- 
sands, and to spare. O, drink my love ; I'll hold 
the golden goblet to thy lips, and it shall be as 
nectar in thy soul. 

How exquisite is this love. How it thrills 
every fibre of our hearts ; how it makes earth 
more like heaven to thee, and makes heaven 
more a heaven to me. Thy soul's casket is filled 
with most costly jewels ; but there shines one 
among them, more brilliant, far, than any other. 

Tis the gem of love that I placed there. 
These jewels will help to form thy diadem in 
the spirit land. O, happy will the hour be 
when I come to thee ; when with angel touch, 



160 

I come and say, prepare O mortal mate of 
mine, prepare to enter paradise, to enter Flora's 
bower, pure sanctuary of pure thoughts ; pre- 
pare to leave the arms of health, and lay thy 
head lovingly upon death's cold bosom. Let 
death take thy earthly temple, what is that to 
thee ; thy spirit is immortal, and with Flora, you 
shall roam within the gardens of our angel 
home. 



SECTION XXXIV 



Flora spoke through Miss . 

Yes, dear one, I am here, ever with and 
around you. Are these not blissful moments of 
communion, and holy joy, when the heart is too 
full for utterance ; when with words we cannot 
find expression \ Our words shall come burst- 
ing forth like pure, bubbling springs of life, and 
yet the fountain source is ever full. 

I will ever bring you words of love, and in 



161 

your heart impress sweet heavenly precepts. I 
will be with you ; I will be around you ; I will 
be near you, and when you go forth among the 
children of earth, I will be the magnet star of 
truth upon your brow that shall shine on earth's 
children, and impart to them the light of heaven 
and the love of God. 

O, give the gems of truth that you receive 
from a spirit land to earth's children, for they 
are hungering and thirsting for them. They are 
in darkness. O, light their pathway, and let 
them see the smiles of God's love that are being 
shed around them, so beautiful and bright. 
Keep not one truth within thy soul secluded ; 
let them all go forth and do their mission of love, 
for it is thy Father that has sent them. He has 
sent his angels to you with bright flowers from 
eternal gardens. Let them go forth and admin- 
ister , to the spiritual wants of man, and make 
his earthly pilgrimage pleasant and happy. 

14* 



162 



SECTION'XXXV. 

The flowers of the garden are sweet, and they 
woo my spirit; but how much more beautiful 
are the flowerets of the spirit that blossom in 
their own fragrance of love, arranged by a hand 
of progression to woo us to the hearts we love. 

It is not, that we shall not often meet, that 
our souls will not be knit together by bonds of 
affection, that I address you to-night with some 
words of tenderness and leave-taking. I speak 
of this temple, [Mrs. Adams,] where our spirits 
have painted jeweled memories of the past, and 
borrowed the beams of futurity over the dia- 
monds. 'T is here that we have drank often at 
the fountain of truth, and here together we have 
nectared our spirits with the draughts of eterni- 
ty. Here we have culled many roses of beauty 
to deck the brow of time. Here have we gath- 



163 



ered many a sand of life, and counted the shining 
pebbles and linked them with the glowing beau- 
ties of eternity. Here, on the breezes of affec- 
tion, our souls have been wafted away to those 
sunbeam streams of thought, whose rippling 
melodies floated us into the mazy future, and we 
have caught some day-dreams of the morrow, 
just glimmering o'er the mountain, the moun- 
tain tops of time. 'T is here thou hast gazed 
on stars that light the heavens. And fittingly 
it seems that this hour should be spent in chant- 
ing the melody of the past. Come, then, on rec- 
ollection, and let us rove away and re-admire the 
roses of the past, and newly gild the star-gems 
that brought us together. We will sing the song 
of yesterday, the song that made us bright and 
free. 



At this point, Flora found the physical condition of Mrs. Adams 
too low to sustain, while entranced, the flow of rapturous thought 
upon which she had entered. She therefore closed at this point, 
and at a subsequent time wrote by Mrs. Bickford's hand, in contin- 
uation, as follows : 



164 



Retrospective Vision. 

One eve I laid me on my soft cloud-couch to rest, 
And drew the beauteous mantle of thy love around my breast. 
Beside me stood a glorious one, with bright and shining wings, 
And in the purest melody these words she sweetly sings : — 

I am the goddess of sweet sleep, 

To thee I come ; 
Alike to those that joy and weep, 

I bring all home. 

I gently lull them to repose, 

And in sweet dreams 
Lead them where immortal water flows, 

In sparkling streams. 

I lead them where the songsters ever sing, 

In one bright band ; 
And to their gaze I all the glories bring, 

Of this fair land. 

I lead them where eternal fountains play, 

And bid them fill ; 
And oft I hear their poor, worn spirits say : 

Peace, peace, be still. 



165 

Now all the glories, and the angel kind, 

And this sweet dream, 
Are no chimeras of the human mind, 

But. what they seem. 

Thus spake the lovely angel, and her liquid accents fell, 
Upon my listening ear, like dew drops in a dell, 
Where the buds are ever waiting for soft refreshing showers, 
To call forth sweetest fragrance from the highly perfumed flowers. 

I could have drank the music of those silvery- tinted words, 
Their tones to me were like the carolling of birds. 
And as she opened her sweet lips, the language seemed to flow 
Like rippling of some fairy stream in sunlight's gentle glow. 

Spirit of love ! thou 'rt passing fair, yet I am fairer still : 
I come to thee from spheres above, my mission to fulfil ; 
I will gently close thine eyelids, and make thy slumbers free, 
And whatever thou may'st wish to have, in dreams I '11 give 
to thee. 

Then softly o'er my senses a pleasing fragrance stole, 
And most delicious music was ravishing my soul. 
And with a new awakening, I gazed in rapturous awe, 
Not at the lovely angel, but the vision that I saw. 

I saw a little child in its mother's arms repose, 

And as she gazes on him, her heart with love o'erflows ; 



166 



Then in soft, trembling accents, and mild imploring gaze, 
She pleads, " 0, God of mercies, keep him from error's ways! 
How gladly would I shield him, but e'en a mother's love, 
Is powerless compared with thine, thou Holy One above. 
Now in thy holy keeping I place this babe of mine, 
And oh, may he in after years kneel at thy blessed shrine." 
Then I looked within that youthful heart and saw a limpid 

spring, 
Ever bubbling pure and truthful as the dews that angels bring. 
Not a cloud upon its surface, but as beautiful and true 
As the clearest crystal raindrops, when the sun is peeping 

through. 
A cloud came o'er my vision, and I gazed in empty space, 
Looking vainly for another glimpse of that sweet, sleeping face. 
Then sadly from the cloud I turned, to ask the reason why, 
When suddenly this vision greets my enraptured eye. — 

I gaze upon the countenance, 't is one I should have known, 
Though years have passed, and he to man's estate has grown. 
Then I look within the open heart, for the spring that bubbles 

there, 
But the weeds have overgrown it, and heavy clouds of care 
Have dimmed its limpid waters. No longer does the sound 
Of its merry, heartfelt gushings, make all the air resound. 
Then I asked myself the question, where is the mother's prayer ? 
Was it not heard in heaven ; was it not answered there ? 



167 



Was not that young heart given unto the most divine ? 
Yet now I see him kneeling devout at Mammon's shrine. 
Then softly knelt I by the spring, and brushed the weeds away , 
The waters were not tainted, and the ripples still might play. 
Where weeds had once been growing, I planted mossy flowers, 
And humbly prayed to heaven to bless them with her showers. 
The spring within the open heart began to bubble clear, 
And the heavy clouds were breaking for the sunlight to appear. 
I gazed into the mirrored depths of that clear, living stream, 
And saw my own reflection. 0, was it all a dream ? 

This was my mission well performed, God given, 
To lead thy hungry soul to Him and Heaven. 

Again the cloud before my vision passed, 
But left me not in darkness as the last ; 
For soon the hallowed rays of spirit light, 
Brought me another vision still more bright. 

I saw thee on a couch repose, mine own, 

And midnight around thee her dark robe had thrown, 

Studded with gems of spirit thought so bright, 

They seemed to bathe thee in celestial light. 

And roiihd thee myriads of bright forms were pressing, 

To crown thee with their love and with their blessing. 

I saw them weaving garlands for thy head, 

And looping up festoons around thy bed ; 

So glowing were their features and so blest, 

That fairer each one seemed than all the rest. 



168 

Now a bright spirit of peculiar grace, 

With genius shining in his radiant face, 

With loving smile, and mein, and gentle tone, 

Like evening breezes as they softly moan 

Through forest trees ; he spoke to thee, 

Not as e'er man spoke, but only He 

Who rules the winds and waters by his will, 

And bids the storms and troubled waves be still. 

And he with his all loving heart hath taught 

His accents unto angels — with his spirit fraught. 

Mortal, I place this laurel wreath upon thy brow, 
Emblem of fame and immortality ; and now, 
Oh keep its leaves from any earthly taint, 
And wear it until thou shalt be a saint 
In angel spheres. I come to guard and bless 
Thy Genius. Though I may not love thee less 
Than others. Yet in this peculiar sphere, 
I 'm fitted more than others to appear. 
Then all the angels joined in one accord, 
And warbled forth their praises to the Lord. 

Then from among that glorious angel band, 
Steps one more fair than all, and in her hand 
She holds a pure white bud and snowy dove, 
These are her gifts, emblems of trust and love. 



169 

Mortal, oh place this pure dove in thy breast, 
And gently pillow his soft head to rest ; 
Even as in thy Saviour's arms thou 'It lay, 
When from all earthly cares thou pass away. 

Then joined the angels her soft hand with thine, 
And kneeling made thy lowly couch their shrine ; 
Then in sweet, blending harmony the angels sing, 
Praises to their almighty God and King. 

Then forth an aged spirit stood, and in her arms 
An infant lay, whose gentle, winning charms, 
Might well make angels stand in wondrous awe, 
Before the holy image that they saw. 
Emblem of purity, how like it seems, 
To snow beneath the moonlight's gentle beams. 

Then spake the aged spirit, and her voice was faint and low, 
As trembling from the fountain, the accents seemed to flow. 

Mortal, thou seest childhood before you in both forms, 
Though one has seen but sunshine, the other met the storms. 
Thou seest upon my brow the path where sin has trod, 
But on this little child is stamped the image of a God. 
I bring thee sin and purity, they 're working hand in hand ; 
And age may by a child be led, in this most glorious land. 
Then angels tune your harps anew, and lift your songs above. 
Sing praises to the heavenly hosts and to the God of love. 

15 



170 



Now came a maiden forward, with a face supremely blest, 
And her small white hands are crossed upon her snowy breast ; 
Her glorious eyes are shaded by the lashes thick and long, 
And her breast swells with emotion, as she poureth forth her 
song. 

Oh mortal eyes may never gaze upon this fair Madonna, 
For Charity hath lovingly thrown her soft mantle on her. 
Then spoke this lovely maiden, and her words were spirit given. 
As suddenly she lifts those radiant orbs to heaven. 

" Mortal, 2" bring an humble gift, 't is but a simple flower, 
And thou may'st gather many, for they 're blooming every hour. 
'T is an emblem of humility, a violet of blue, 
Which I plant beside thy heart-spring to keep it pure and true. 
Beside thy many rich gifts then place it on thy shrine, 
And, though it may be humble, slight not this gift of mine. 

Then joyously the angels woke the anthem long and loud, 
And the swelling of the chorus reached my couch upon the 

cloud. 
And I looked within the open heart, to find the pearly spring, 
And my heart with joy rebounded as I heard the waters sing. 
Not a cloud did o'ercast it, and the flowers were springing wild, 
And the waters bubbled clearly as when he was a child. 
Then I turned and asked the angel, where was the mother's 

prayer ? 
And she pointed to my vision — I saw it answered there. 



171 



Then the fountains of my own heart with silent prayer were 

stirred, 
And I knew that by my Father that simple prayer was heard. 
I prayed for thy redemption, mine own beloved mate, 
That thou might be perfected to walk within the gate 
Of Eden's happy lands, where the milk and honey flow, 
And meet the shining bands that have guarded thee below. 



SECTION XXXVI, 

There is a dark spirit near me. The influ- 
ence this spirit brings makes me very sad. I 
must remove from this influence. How can I 
best do it 1 

This spirit now passes by me and is gone, and 
in its pathway I see a dark, flowing stream. Oh, 
how dark ! On the opposite shore I see Flora, 
she beckons me to come to her. But I cannot 
cross this dark stream. Will you help me? 
"Wait, for Flora is dropping flowers in this stream, 
it will soon be full and I will cross upon them. 



172 

After a short pause, Flora spoke as follows : 

And so of thee in thy pilgrimage, and of all 
the dark currents of folly that wind around thy 
life ; I will scatter flowers till they cover the 
stream so thou canst walk over them ; and at thy 
tread their sweet fragrance shall arise. Frail as 
the flowers may seem to earth ; incompetent as 
their power seems to sustain thee, yet come over 
in faith ; tread not doubtingly ; think not of the 
dark current, but tread thou firmly on the delicate 
blossoms, for power dwells in what seems to 
earth's children but flowers and phantoms. 

She soon after gave the following, as an address to little Theo- 
dore: 

Pure and innocent traveller of earth. I bring 
to thee the buds of innocence, the buds of hope, 
the buds of purity ; and with them I '11 twine 
for thee a chaplet that I will throw around thee. 
I will pray for thee, loved child, that in thy path 
nought but bright and beauteous flowers may 
spring up ; and that no inharmony from without 



173 



or within may retard thy progress. O, may thy 
young bud of life be unfolded beneath a sum- 
mer's sun ; may the gentle dews refresh it ; and 
gentle showers invigorate it, so that when the 
rude and harsh hand of an unfeeling, uncharita- 
ble and uncongenial world shall be placed upon 
it, it may have strength to stand the harsh touch, 
that the tender leaves may not be blighted by 
the withering emanations of the iceburg. 

Let a father's wisdom guide thee ; let a moth- 
er's gentle love lead thee, and thy garden shall 
be filled with bright blossoms, for a father's wise, 
cautious hand shall pluck the weeds of error ere 
they drink up the richness of thy soul ; and 
when thy wisdom shall be unfolded, be thyself a 
wise and careful gardener ; prune well the flow- 
ers, and water well the roots. Yet as you tread 
on, I fear, I fear the dark clouds ; I fear the 
freezing, wintry wind. But thy Father in heaven 
will guard thee ; he will shield thee from the 
wind ; he will wrap close around thee garments 
of love, and in his protection there is no fear. 

15* 



174 



SECTION XXXVII. 

Flora spoke through Miss Elizabeth — — — as follows : 

What would you have me speak to-night, to 
add to thy little volume that is going forth to 
cheer the darkened places of the earth % "Would 
you have me speak to you of bright spirits, or 
of spirits who are crushed and broken, who are 
bound to earth by chains they cannot break ] 
O, how they strive to sever those chains, but ex- 
cept they abide in Christ, and repose in faith in 
the arms of our almighty Father, they cannot. 
Let thy little volume point souls to the land of 
bliss. Tell them that God is merciful, kind, lov- 
ing, gentle and good. He makes no distinctions. 
As dear to him, precious in his sight, is the soul 
of the beggar as the soul of the king ; and ever 
in the humble abodes of poverty and sadness he 
sends his angels to guard. And holy angels 
weep over down-trodden humanity. Tell earth's 
children that their sorrows and sufferings are 



175 

likewise the sorrows and sufferings of angels, 
for they come to sympathize and bring consola- 
tion. 

Tell them that could they but once gaze 
into the glories and mysteries of the spirit land, 
their souls w r ould loathe the things they now 
cling to most. 

Bid the weeping mother weep not for her in- 
fant gone ; tell her that could her eyes behold 
the loved form she laid in the silent tomb, she 
would be dazzled with its beauty. Tell her that 
she beheld not the smiles that gladdened angels' 
faces as her child was ushered into the abodes 
of love and peace, and heard not the welcome 
cry — "A child is born, a new soul has entered 
the gates of paradise." 

Bid the husband mourn not for his bride ; tell 
him that she is freed from earth's sufferings and 
cares ; that her spirit like an uncaged bird now 
ranges the broad land of that bright world of 
spirits. Let loose from earthly trammels that so 
long have held it, like a weary child sighing for 
rest, and at last it has found that rest. 



176 



Bid all mourners cease their weeping ; tell 
them when the death-angel comes, in him they 
may behold the one who said — " Fear not, it is 
I ; be not afraid." Tell thy earthly friends when 
troubled, to look back on him who trod the rug- 
ged steeps of Calvary. Tell them when in toil 
with drops of sweat upon their brow, to remember 
him who sweat great drops of blood, that 
through him they might gain great victory even 
over death and the grave. 



SECTION XXXVIII. 

Flora spoke through Miss Ann Groce, as follows : 

When I look about me, and see the thorny 
paths through which you must travel, then do I 
feel my own weakness, my own inability to guide 
you. Then would I drink deep from the foun- 
tain of strength. 

I pray for purity of thought, for holiness of 
life ; for if my life is pure, I am fortified and pre- 



177 

pared to meet temptations. No matter then if 
my pathway is filled with thorns. 

O, my soul longs to meet thee in my own qui- 
et home, where in silent whispers we can com- 
mune together; where all around is harmony 
and love ; where no earthly care shall distract 
the mind from the beauties I bring thee ; 
where no anxiety is, but all is passiveness. O, 
meet me often where no dark clouds come to 
darken the bright sunlight of heaven ; meet me 
where no cares come to oppress thee ; let thy 
mind be passive, and together we will gaze, and 
together see new beauties. The perfume of the 
bright flowers that I have brought thee, has 
filled thy soul, made it radiant, bright and har- 
monious. So interwoven with my own soul is 
thine, that together we will gaze, and I will point 
out beauties to you. 

And art thou soaring far above the material- 
ism of the world, this bright, this sunny morn- 
ing ] Thou hast drank deep from my fountain ; 
and have these draughts brought joy to thy soul 1 
Soon can I lead thee to a garden more beautiful ; 



178 

and twine for thee brighter, purer flowers than 
thy mind has yet conceived of. But as you wan- 
der in the garden with earth's children, touch 
not the flower of envy. Many, whose crowns 
would be pure, could they tear from them that 
flower, are dim. It sheds darkness on brighter 
flowers, so they cannot shine. Let it not twine 
itself around you, for the purest are in danger 
when walking the garden where this flower 
blooms. 

I will build around thee a framework so strong 
and yet transparent, that the uncongenial influ- 
ences, the unlovely flower of envy cannot enter. 
Pluck the little flowers and throw them away. 
Trample under thy feet the weeds of error, and 
the beauteous flowers shall spring up and unfold 
in the bright sunlight. 

Let our souls flow together in one streamlet ; 
let our thoughts be one ; let us wind our way by 
the hill side, through the valley, through the 
forest ; let us flow onward, and even shall be our 
course, until at last we shall enter the great 
fountain from whence we came. 



179 

As we travel in life's rugged path, let us adapt 
our garments to the work we have to perform; 
let us live up to the glorious doctrine that we 
preach, and earth's children shall point to us as 
models of the religion we believe ; as true follow- 
ers of Jesus ; as searchers after God's truths ; as 
small fountains whose streams flow from God's 
eternal fountain. Doubtless they may oftimes 
become impure by passing through the channels 
that bring them to us. 

Let us utter our thoughts with wisdom ; let 
wisdom guide us. Let us plant the seed within 
an enclosure so high and strong that no foes 
can come in and destroy it. 

Let us open the eyes of the blind that they 
may see ; let us uncover the beauties of earth ; 
let us pluck the weeds that the flowers may be 
seen. 

Materialism asks what better teachings bring 
you to earth's children than the word of God ? 

If you read the Bible, and appreciate its con- 
tents, w T e bring nothing more, nothing new. 
We come not to give new truths, but we come 



180 



to uncover, to unfold truths that have ever ex- 
isted but have not been perceived. New truths, 
great reforms are unfolded among the meek and 
lowly. 

We bring flowers, and the world takes them ; 
we bring laurels and the world wears them. If 
mortals can not enter the garden, we will twine 
beautiful wreaths and give to thei% When we 
have planted our own garden, materialism may 
step in and take the praise ; let these worldly 
children come and take it, for thus we may lead 
them to an appreciation of beauty. We seek not 
for honor ; we seek not for laurels ; we ask no 
praise. 

When materialism shall step and trample 
down our flowers, there shall a purifying, soften- 
ing fragrance ascend and fill the atmosphere 
around, and will pass to other opening fields of 
beauty that await us. And when we've thus 
passed on, they will follow to our new garden, 
and so onward still we will go. 



181 

I would not bring from dark, insipid streams, 
Water to bathe thy weary spirit in ; 

But crystal dews from love's immortal fountain, 
That 's pure from hatred and from every sin. 



SECTION xxxix. 

Flora spoke through Miss Frances A. Burbank, as follows : 

How many new truths are opening to your 
spirit ; so numerous are they, that I scarce know 
which first to bring to you. 

O, how I joy to meet thee ; the love of the 
spirit fadeth not, but human love, how frail it is. 
A pure spirit love is thine for me, and mine for 
thee. Earthly feelings taint it not ; 't is a pure 
spiritual emotion, and I can liken it only to two 
dewdrops blending into one, reflecting the rays 
of the sun of wisdom, and filling them with rain- 
bow light. 

As the quiet lake reflects the bright star that 
shines in the firmament above it, so does thy 
soul reflect mine. And though the lake ripples 

16 



182 

on, the star still shines, and its multiplied reflec- 
tions are ever changing, but the star shines ever 
the same. 

But why does my spirit thus come, attracted 
by emotions of love to earth % I may as well 
ask, why do streams flow on to the deep ocean ? 

Flora, alluding to the medium, said : 

I find a new channel opened for me to-night ; 
a new mind to impress, new lips to speak 
through. 

Shall I give thee an account of one I beheld 
come to the spirit land of late % 

A mother came to me saying ; " Will you go 
with me and aid me in receiving a child who is 
coming to our spirit home ? " Gladly did I obey 
the summons, for I love to aid those who aid 
others. 

We sought the earth. How dim and dark it 
looked compared with our bright home, for the 
flowers of earth had faded ; the chilly winds of 
autumn had swept over what was once green and 



183 

beauteous, and we missed the sweet incense of 
summer flowers. 

The youth struggled for life. The friends of 
the youth had anticipated his life to be a long 
and useful one. But who can stay the hand of 
death % An earthly father clung to him with 
deep, true love — but a spirit mother waited to 
greet him with a deeper and holier affection 
above. I watched the change as life faded away, 
and the pulse ceased to beat. 

A beautiful spirit was now rising and forming 
over the dying body. When fully formed, it 
hovered still over its lifeless tenement and gazed 
in wonder ; then gazed upon the scene around 
him, and was surprised that he was freed from 
pain. A band of spirits now approached him, 
and chanted sweet music for his ear. Still his 
spirit was confused, until a mother's voice, in 

softest whispers called his name. " , 

child of my own being ! " Instantly he then 
knew that his earthly life was ended, and that 
his spirit was free. A mother's fond love then 
drew him to her arms, and he was borne away 



184 

by a band of spirits to a bower of repose strewn 
with fragrant flowers. "We poured upon him 
the incense of love and joy, and he slept like a 
weary child. O, would that you could behold 
the joy of that mother's heart, I never knew be- 
fore how deep a mother's love could be. She 
had waited long for the flower to unfold in the 
spirit world. She had watered the buds she left 
on earth with the dews of her affection, and with 
the tears of her love. And now one is gathered 
home to bloom in the garden of her heart. 

Now he has grown strong from repose, and he 
opens his eyes and gazes upon the spirit land, 
and wishes not to return to earth. And when he 
thinks of the loved ones left behind, the thought 
is an incentive to higher motives, to greater ef- 
forts in goodness, that he may return to earth 
and aid his earthly friends. Dear friends, who 
are left behind, mourn not for him, for he is free 
and joyous, while you are weary and sad. Think 
of him as a jewel that has gone before you to 
the spirit land, to glitter like a star in the firma- 
ment of heaven ; to attract your thoughts and 



185 

eyes upward, so he will continue to draw you, 
until one after the other shall be called home to 
join him. 



SECTION XL. 

Flora spoke, through Miss , as follows : 

Welcome, welcome again. O, how I joy to 
meet you, and how I joy to greet you. 

O, how my spirit loves to come to thee bring- 
ing little flowers for thee to give to mortals, to 
cheer them with hope's bright ray. Give to 
them freely of the flowers that I have plucked 
from the eternal gardens above; they will be 
given to thee and return thou them increased 
tenfold. 

Beloved one of my soul, God's blessings shall 
rest upon thee, and the smiles of his counte- 
nance shall illuminate your onward progress to 
happiness and truth ; angels shall hover over and 
around thee to catch the holy aspirations of thy 
soul and bear them upward to the throne of 
grace. 



186 

That sweet light that opes your eyes 

At morning's earliest ray, 
Is but a whisper from the skies 

To call thy heart to pray. 

How often do my prayers go up to God to 
ask a blessing for thee, and how earnestly do I 
pray my heavenly Father that I may ever be 
permitted to be near thee and speak to thee 
words of love, of holy love. And let thy pray- 
ers of thanks ascend to God for the love of an- 
gels that fills thy own soul; bless him for a 
world like this, and praise him that you live; 
let the soft wing of every hour returning soon 
to heaven, waft to his throne some notes of 
praise that thine own lips have given. 



SECTION XLI. 

Closing Words. 

The busy thoughts of memory come rushing 

fast and close around my soul; and I, amid the 

past, the golden lighted past, am numbering the 

blossoms that fell on the pathway of mortals, 



187 

plucked by angels in gardens of paradise and 
joy. Cold, cold must be the heart that does not 
soften at the repeated coming, and sound of an- 
gels' foot-steps within their mansion. Slumber- 
ing, must they be that hear not our voices as we 
wake them from the night and call them to the 
rosy arms of morning. 

I am looking on the past, when first I took 
those mazy threads to weave thy bright eter- 
nal life with flowerets and never fading blos- 
soms. In holy guardianship and love I've never 
left a bud untwined. Even when the threads 
were coarse and hard, I plucked from the tree of 
life a flower of stronger growth. But when the 
threads were closing thick and fast, I formed the 
fairy garland of blossoms most delicate and 
rare ; sometimes the buds were so etherial and 
light, so delicate and fair, that even love, the 
hand of love, was bade by truth to fasten them 
with thorns. They pierced awhile, but they kept 
the flower all delicate within thy soul. I'm 
thinking how thy course has upward been, to 
join me in my onward way. 



188 

I'm numbering the pearly tears of pity that 
thou hast flowed into the ocean of sorrow. 

I'm looking on the links that bind our souls 
to human hearts : we will count and count them 
often-times, that their brightness may be kept 
forever. Let not neglect send them to rust and 
decay. 

On Time's great dial I have painted flowers, 
and celestial blossoms shall reveal to thee the 
unnumbered hours of our earthly love. 

My spirit now bounds to the glorious light as 
I gaze on the beautiful, pure and bright, that 
shall come to bless our love. The past, the past 
hath nectared thee ; the tributes of affection and 
holy guardianship have been gathered, page by 
page, and loved ones of earth have traversed our 
garden of thoughts alone, and placed the flowers 
upon their breasts, that pledged our love. Not 
alone have we culled and worn them, but joy's 
bright breeze has borne them on and on to 
many a heart where they have clung with ten- 
dril sweetness. 

These hearts all wreathed with flowers of love, 
Shall bless us in the courts above. 



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